


Repairing a Broken Record

by Veozar



Series: Miracles and Magic [2]
Category: Heretical Edge - Cerulean, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And hopefully Heretical Edge only fans as well, Background Relationships, Background Tamaki Iroha/Futaba Sana, Being Homura Is Suffering, Being Meguca Is Suffering, Being Mifuyu Is Suffering, Being Yachiyo Is Suffering, But you don't have to read the prequel, Drama, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Friendly to PMMM only fans, I promise, Mifuyu Did Nothing Wrong, PMMM Spoilers, Sequel, The age gap is too much for teenagers, We're not shipping Yachiyo with Iroha
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 54,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24035668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veozar/pseuds/Veozar
Summary: (A fan fiction which can be read by those only familiar with Magia Record, despite the crossover characters. Reading the prequel is in no way required to enjoy this story.)The goddess looks over the record in which she cannot interfere. She worries for the Magical Girls who she cannot save. There has to be a way to help. Perhaps sending in someone from another odd record, one who can help them on her behalf. But is Felicity Chambers up for the threats she will have to face in Kamihama City? Is she a match for the Magius?
Relationships: Felicity Chambers/Shiori Porter, Nanami Yachiyo/Azusa Mifuyu
Series: Miracles and Magic [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1733686
Comments: 18
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here we are again. I've decided to write a sequel to my** _**Madoka Magica** _ **and** _**Heretical Edge** _ **crossover,** _**Wish I Were a Bystander.** _ **That said, this isn't a traditional sequel. You do not need to read** _**Wish I Were a Bystander** _ **to understand this fic. Most of the characters from that story will not be in this one, and any events from that story will be at most passively mentioned.**

**Just like with** _**Wish I Were a Bystander** _ **, you do not need knowledge of** _**Heretical Edge** _ **to enjoy this story. I know** _**Wish I Were a Bystander** _ **ended up including more** _**Heretical Edge** _ **elements in it than I had implied at the start, but that's definitely not going to happen in this story. The reasons why will become apparent in this chapter.**

**As for readers unfamiliar with** _**Magia Record,** _ **I will do my best to explain the** _**Magia Record** _ **elements of this story as they appear. That said, I recommend at least knowing the basics of** _**Madoka Magica.** _

_**Now let's get into Repairing a Broken Record.** _

**Chapter 1**

The goddess looked at two records. They were vastly different, yet both were equally abnormal. In both of the records, she could not interfere and save Magical Girls from their fates. Any interference would risk the records breaking.

For the first record, that was not a problem. The Magical Girls of that time had not only found a way to end the cycle of Magical Girls turning into Witches, but they continued to fight valiantly against the various other threats of the universe.

Interestingly enough, though that record was an abnormality compared to all the others, it was the original universe. Her universe, and so many others, had branched off from that one, all created by a powerful force. That was the reason creatures known as Alters did not exist in the other records.

The second record was a greater problem. There was a group which hoped to free Magical Girls from their fate in their own way. This was what prevented the goddess from saving them herself. Even so, she was not confident these girls would succeed like the girls of the first record. In fact, she was worried she would have to destroy the record entirely in the future.

How terrible would that be? All those innocent girls, destined to suffer. A whole universe, fated to crumble.

The goddess could not let that happen. And yet, she was powerless to divert their fate. Her actions might lead to the disaster she was hoping to prevent. What could she do?

Her attention returned to the first record. To the girls who won in a battle against destiny. Her friends were all alive and happy there, and so was she. There were many factors which could have led to this outcome, but watching the record unfold, she found the greatest changes all happened due to one girl.

Felicity Chambers. Though she had been shocked by the truth behind Magical Girls, she had pressed on regardless. She had saved Madoka's friends from the brink of despair multiple times. Though Flick herself had been a Magical Girl, her destiny was not one of despair. No, she had been the first to fall to despair and rise up once more.

The goddess herself could not get involved in the broken record. Nor could she pull on help from the records she had a presence in. What about the record which all others spawned from? Could she call upon help from this world which seemed so strange when compared to all others?

Perhaps there was a way after all.

* * *

Flick was dreaming. She knew that the moment her eyes opened. For one thing, she was floating in space, surrounded by an endless sea of stars. Granted, stranger things had happened to her, but even so, she had no doubts this was a dream. There was a presence in her mind, one which almost screamed of separation from the waking world.

Even so, this wasn't anything like her usual dreams. She wasn't a lucid dreamer, and every time she happened to realize she was in a dream, she almost always woke up soon after. That, and this felt more real than her past dreams. There was no mist clouding her mind, and her body felt real. She pinched herself, and the pain was there.

So why was she so positive this was a dream?

" _I didn't want to confuse you more than I had. I'm sorry for that."_

The voice was familiar, yet Flick couldn't match a name to it.

"Who are you?" Flick asked.

" _I am the Law of Cycles. The savior of all Magical Girls."_

"That . . . doesn't make any sense," Flick admitted with a frown.

In response, there was a flash of light in front of Flick. When the light vanished, a radiant figure was standing there. Her pink hair, with two white ribbons in it, flowed to her legs. She wore a pure white dress, and her golden eyes were shining.

Though she looked so different from the girl Flick knew, her eyes still widened in recognition. "Madoka?!"

Madoka smiled at her, the warmth from that smile seeming to reach Flick's soul. "Hello, Felicity. I hope you are doing well."

"How—why—wha—" Flick's jaw was on the verge of detaching. At least she knew why the voice was familiar, yet not. It was certainly Madoka speaking, but not the timid Madoka Flick knew. This Madoka was wiser than most people, and there was a focus in both her gaze and tone that belonged to someone far older.

"Let me explain," Madoka said. "I'm Madoka, but not the Madoka from your universe. I'm from another universe, one where I made a wish which made me into the existence you see before you."

"You wished to become a _god?_ " Flick blurted.

Madoka laughed. "Not quite. That was a side effect of my real wish. To save all Magical Girl's from turning into Witches."

The final form of all Magical Girls. It was supposed to be inevitable, a destiny which could not be averted. Gaia Sinclaire, the former Headmistress of Crossroads Academy for Heretics, had created a spell which could save them. With that spell, the souls of Magical Girls and even Witches could return to their bodies.

Yet here Madoka was, apparently taking on that entire responsibility for herself. It seemed like the sort of thing she would do. The Madoka of Flick's world had made a wish on an equally impressive scale. Maybe that was why this didn't come as too much of a shock.

"How was this possible?" she found herself asking.

An image appeared in front of them. A haze which formed into images, depicting a city which Flick immediately recognized.

"This is Mitakihara."

"It is one version of Mitakihara," Madoka said. "This universe is where I came from. In this universe, Heretics and Alters don't exist. Magical Girls had no hope of being helped from outside help."

"Magical Girls without Alters?" Flick asked. "That's possible?"

"More than possible," Madoka said. "Your universe is the only one where Alters exist."

There was silence following Madoka's statement, during which she was clearly waiting for a response. Flick's brain was too busy bluescreening to come up with one.

"Oops!" Madoka covered her mouth with both hands, in a way that felt so much like the Madoka familiar to Flick, that she found herself giggling.

"I'm guessing there's a story behind there being all these different universes," Flick said, "and mine being the only one with Alters."

"Yes," Madoka said, smoothing over her dress. That act seemed to bring her composure back. "What's important is that there are other universes where Magical Girls exist. I came from one of those, where I saw my friends fall victim to the cycle we face."

There was no need to elaborate. Flick understood, and the pang in her heart was almost enough for her to collapse.

"Mami, Homura, and the others," Flick whispered. "They . . . ?"

"Don't worry," Madoka assured her. "I made sure no Magical Girl needs to despair anymore. Their lives aren't easy, but when their soul gem darkens, they will return to me."

Flick found herself nodding, if only to free herself from the horrible thought of her friends suffering. "What about my universe? She asked.

Madoka smiled and clapped her hands together. "You saved them yourself, Flick! I can't interfere in a world where Witches are no more."

Flick blushed. "That was more your doing than my own."

Madoka shook her head. "Your presence changed everything. I wouldn't have called you here if I wasn't sure of that."

Flick's embarrassment was replaced with confusion. "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, Madoka lowered her arms. "There's another universe I can't access. Magical Girls are still turning into Witches, there. I can't save them."

"What?!" Flick's eyes widened. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know entirely," Madoka said. "But it's centered around a group of Magical Girls in Kamihama City."

Kamihama? Flick knew that name. Multiple Magical Girls recruited into the Unity school started by her mother had originated from there. Why would that place be stopping Madoka from interacting with the whole world?

"There's a group called the Magius," Madoka said. "Their actions are changing the fate of Magical Girls." She looked down. "Their goals aren't so different from my own, but their actions might cause the entire timeline to break."

"Break?" Flick asked.

"I would have no choice but to destroy that universe."

The words made Flick stumble back, her breath taken from her. A thousand thoughts were racing through her head, and none of them were hopeful.

"The Magius are hoping to hatch a creature known as Eve," Madoka said. "The existence of Eve in an embryo state has already kept me from saving Magical Girls."

"Eve?" Flick rasped.

"You'll know it when you see it," Madoka said. "I wish I could tell you more, but . . ." She pouted, another act that proved this really was Madoka. "I don't know what's going to happen. Everything surrounding Eve is filled with fog. I could only figure out the events leading up to this timeline being so different. Other than that, I'm blind to this world's future."

"Someone needs to help them," Flick said. She met Madoka's eyes with her own, and took a step toward the goddess. "Please, let me help them. There has to be a way."

Madoka reached out and put a hand on Flick's shoulder, smiling. "Funny, I was going to ask you to do just that. I needed someone who's also from an abnormal universe, and close to myself in that universe, to help them in my place. Anyone closer to me would be similar to getting involved myself, and anyone further would be impossible to send in. But you shouldn't rush into this, Felicity."

"I know it's dangerous, but—"

"Not just that," Madoka said. "You would be on your own. "Remember, this universe doesn't have Alters or Heretics. Many of the people you know from your world don't even exist. I wouldn't be able to send any of them with you, either. Until your task is complete, you won't be able to see them. Not much time has passed since you got your family back. I don't want you to have any regrets."

Flick turned away. Her family. Mom, Dad, Tabbris. What about her girlfriend, Avalon? And everyone else she met since the founding of Unity? The thought of losing them, it was enough to make Flick hesitate.

_But this isn't losing them. It would only be a temporary separation._

The thought still hurt, and Flick found herself unsure of what to do.

"I . . ."

"You don't have to take on this burden for yourself if you don't want to," Madoka said. She was still smiling, but Flick could see the worry in her eyes."

"Would—" Flick swallowed. "Would everyone know where I was?"

"I can tell them," Madoka assured her. "I'll reach out to your family the same way I am with you, and they'll tell the rest."

Flick took a deep breath.

_What would Mom do?_

"I'll go." Flick said. She was able to meet Madoka's gaze once more. "This is more than my family and friends. There's a whole _universe_ that needs help. As long as I can see everyone again, I have no reason to refuse."

Madoka beamed, and that was enough to draw a smile to Flick's own face. "Thank you! I'll talk to you whenever I can, usually while you're dreaming. I promise to let you know how your family is doing."

Tears found their way to Flick's eyes. She wiped them away. "Thank you. That . . . means a lot."

"Of course," Madoka said. "Before you go, let me tell you a few things to guide you. First, your normal powers won't work in this universe. You're connected to a powerful force, but you won't be able to draw upon that power. The distance is just too far."

"I won't have any powers?" Flick asked.

"Not unless you make a contract with Kyubey," Madoka said.

Flick grimaced at the thought of dealing with that monster again. Even so, she had no doubt she would make a contract. That power was just too important, and she would be able to fix her soul once she returned.

"There is one insurance," Madoka said. "The Magius have already discovered a way to prevent Magical Girls from becoming Witches when their soul gems darken. It only works in Kamihama, but you'll be safe within the city."

"Really?" Flick asked. "What will happen if my soul gem darkens, then?"

For the first time since the dream began, Madoka looked uncomfortable. "It might be better for you to see it in person. I could tell you more about the city, and the girls there, but there are some things you're better off learning for yourself."

"I understand," Flick said. "And I know that the more knowledge I have, the better equipped I'll be. But you're right. I don't want to be making any premature judgements."

"I will at least tell you this," Madoka said. "The Magius, leaders of the Wings of the Magius who seek liberation for Magical Girls, consists of three girls. Those girls are Alina Gray, Touka Satomi, and Nemu Hiiragi. Oh, and you can trust Iroha Tamaki."

Flick blinked. Madoka giving her the names of the Magius made sense, but she had expected to meet and judge every other Magical Girl on her own. Honestly, Flick preferred it that way. So why had Madoka made an exception for Iroha Tamaki?

"Are you ready?" Madoka asked.

 _Not really,_ Flick thought.

"I am," Flick said. "I promise, Madoka. I'll destroy Eve so you can save them all."

By that point, Madoka had already begun to fade. There was only a faint outline of her figure remaining, and her voice barely reached Flick's ears. Even so, Flick heard the words of the goddess who had given her this task.

" _I believe in you."_

**A/N: Yes, since Godaka watches over the timelines, she could give Flick a rundown on all the Kamihama girls. But there's no story if the main character knows everything, and part of Homura's problem in getting others to trust her was that she knew things she didn't. Seeing that happen so many times, it makes sense that Godaka wouldn't want Flick to deal with the same problems.**

**This chapter was extremely dialogue heavy, with not much going on otherwise. Sorry about that. I promise info-dumps like this won't be common going forward. In fact, we're going to get into some action as soon as the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Once again, Flick opened her eyes to a dream.

_Where am I now? This . . . doesn't look like Kamihama._

Fog surrounded her from every side, to the point where she couldn't even see the ground beneath her feet. For a moment, she stood frozen, afraid that any movement would cause her to collide with some unseen threat.

Finally, the fog cleared up below her, and directly in front of her as well. A road was revealed to be in its place, stretching as far as Flick could see.

That was hardly the greatest shock, however. Walking along the road were dozens of girls. All were young, carrying suitcases, and ignoring those around them. Flick could make out words said between them.

" _I'm going there to be saved."_

" _I won't have to sacrifice myself."_

" _I'll be free soon."_

" _I'll never have to fight again."_

Then, they all spoke as one.

" _Let's go to Kamihama. For our own sake, and not the sake of others."_

" _Let's go to Kamihama. If we make it there, we will surely be saved."_

"What . . . the hell is this?" Flick whispered.

"Come to Kamihama."

Flick whirled around, facing the owner of the voice which had just spoken. It belonged to a young girl, no older than 12. She had pink hair and eyes, of a lighter color than Madoka's. Her outfit consisted of a black and purple tunic, black shorts, black boots with purple ribbons, and a red throat tie featuring a soul gem of the same color. Her hair was tied in multiple places, held together by red beads. At the top of her head was a small, black cap.

"Who are you?" Flick asked.

"Come to Kamihama," the girl repeated. "Here, Magical Girls can be saved."

"Magical Girls?" Flick echoed. "Are you one of the Magius?"

She didn't get any answers. Flick blinked, and the girl was gone. Before she could register that sudden change, a loud screeching echoed across the road.

_Now what?_

The screech increased in volume, making Flick cover her ears. Hearing it up close, it sounded more like a roar than anything else. The kind belonging to a monster. Flick looked around for the source, but there was nothing. Nothing except that noise, which was getting closer.

And closer.

And closer.

**And closer.**

Flick gasped, jolting awake from the dream. When she sat up, she realized she was in a place equally unfamiliar as the last one.

_No, I recognize this . . . unfortunately._

Looking up, Flick saw a giant lizard creature being torn in half by a ginormous, feminine figure. It looked like a living shadow, with fluffy hair that reached the bottom of its black dress. In the center of its torso was a ring, tightly circling the figure's chest like the rings of a planet. As it finished tearing the lizard half its size into two pieces, it turned its attention to Flick.

Yeah, she recognized where she was alright. This was a Witch's labyrinth.

Flick scrambled to her feet, ready to throw herself out of the way if the Witch attacked. Instead, a barrage of pink crossbows struck the Witch from the other side of the labyrinth. They didn't even put a dent in the creature, but they were enough to draw its attention away from Flick.

Away from Flick, and onto the young girl who had fired the shot. She looked like an older version of the girl from Flick's dream, though only by a few years. Her attire consisted of a pink and white robe which exposed her midriff, a pink skirt, and black boots which went to her knees. Any exposed skin was covered by black, sheer fabric. Flick could see deep pink hair, mostly covered by the hood.

There was another girl on the ground in front of her, unconscious. Her clothes were similar to the first's, though with a mostly black color-scheme, and a few other minor differences.

Their outfits made it clear that they were Magical Girls, yet they couldn't even scratch the Witch. As the Witch loomed over them, the pink haired girl could do nothing except kneel beside her friend and stare.

Without thinking, Flick began to sprint in their direction. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she couldn't sit back and let these girls die! And yet, she had no powers nor a weapon. Could she even begin to hope that she might save them?

No, that didn't matter. She wasn't going to reach them in time!

" _Uwasa, Uwasa. Share your secrets, Uwasa."_

"Huh?" Flick turned toward the sound of the soft, boyish voice.

" _Only meant for one, but who? Shall I tell them just to you?"_

It was . . . Kyubey. Except not quite. This Kyubey looked much younger, with bigger eyes and ears, along with smaller appendages which lacked the rings on Kyubey's. Also, it was much smaller than Kyubey, to the point where it could fit in the palm of Flick's hand.

_Oh no. It's adorable!_

The Witch spun, sending a dust cloud toward the rock which the Kyubey stood on. It seemed unphased, jumping off the rocks and walking through patches of dust as it continued to sing.

" _Take another open hand to feel them passing through."_

The dust was getting closer to the Kyubey, which had picked up in speed. It leaped into the air, straight toward the pink girl's arms. She stumbled back to catch it.

" _Uwasa, Uwasa. Passing the secret I bring."_

The girl caught him, and it felt like time froze in that moment. As the pink haired girl stared at the small Kyubey with wide eyes, her friend got to her feet.

_They're both awake. They just need to get to safety._

Except the pink haired girl wasn't moving, even as her friend tried to shake her out of her daze. Seeing that, Flick continued her sprint toward them. The Witch itself, having dug under the ground, was burrowing toward them.

 _Dammit, move faster!_ Flick found a burst of adrenaline, and managed to get in front of the Witch just as it sprung out of the ground, right above the two girls. She tensed, ready to tackle them out of the way.

She didn't have to. A spear flew above their heads, straight at the Witch. When it struck, it cut off the lower half of the Witch's arm.

They all turned toward their savior, who was landing on her feet after having thrown her spear in midair.

The young woman was older than Flick, probably college aged. In a way, she reminded Flick of Avalon. The serious look in her eyes, the way she held herself with confidence, they screamed of someone who had experience in fighting. Even her long, straight hair looked like Avalon's, though it was dark blue rather than black.

If her attack and stance didn't give away that she was a Magical Girl, her outfit certainly did. It was even more intricate than the outfits of the other girls. Her blue dress got darker toward the bottom, and it had skintight sleeves, brown cuffs, and stars on the bottom. She also wore a white headdress which was attached to her head by a white headband with blue gems. For shoes, she wore brown strapped heels, and she had a silver breastplate on for protection. Right below that chestplate, a blue crescent moon gem hung from her necklace. If Flick had to guess, that was her soul gem.

Flick had just enough time to take all that in before the woman created a circle of spears surrounding her feet, which began to spin and spread. The farther they got from the girl, the faster they spun. Then, in a motion so fast Flick almost missed in, they lined up around the Witch.

The woman leaped onto the spear closest to her, sending it toward the Witch with a kick that also propelled her onto the next spear. She continued to jump from spear to spear, sending each one she touched flying at the Witch. It was unable to retaliate, struck with blow after blow. It cried out, struggling to escape.

That escape would never come. The woman leaped off the final spear, straight above the Witch. She held a spear in her hands, which she slammed into the Witch's head with a grunt. With a great rumble, the Witch cracked and fell apart, dust spreading out in all directions.

When the dust settled, the girl was floating in midair, slowly descending as she caught the grief seed in her outstretched hand. She landed in a crouch, and dug up a second grief seed from the sand.

The labyrinth faded away, revealing the inside of a greenhouse and the night sky. The Magical Girls present changed into their normal outfits, consisting of school uniforms for the younger girls, and a black dress with white spots for the older one.

Only now did the pink haired girl notice Flick. She turned in Flick's direction with wide eyes. "Who —"

"Tell me now," the older girl interrupted, glaring at all of them. "Where are you from?"

The pink haired girl spun her way, hands clasped. "Um, I um, I'm from Takarazaki. Thank you so much for all your help —"

"This is Kamihama West territory," the young woman stated, pointing at the ground. "Hunting Witches outside of your territory without permission will only lead to hostilities. Did Kyubey not warn you about that?"

 _Kyubey doesn't warn us about anything,_ Flick thought with a scowl. She remembered when she was desperate enough to make her wish. At the time, she had thought Kyubey saved her. Except he hadn't told her nearly enough. Like the fact the Magical Girl's souls were transferred to their soul gems, meaning their life would end if the gem broke. Or that when a soul gem darkened, a Magical Girl turned into a Witch, the same creatures they fought.

"We're so sorry!" the pink haired girl pleaded. "We didn't mean to —"

Once again, she was interrupted, this time by her friend. "I want to be saved. I came all the way to Kamihama. I want to be free." Those statements caused the pink haired girl to gasp, turning toward her friend in shock.

The older girl frowned. Rather than address those words, however, she looked at Flick. "What about you? You don't look like a Magical Girl, yet you seemed to function normally in the labyrinth."

Right. Now she had to explain herself. Part of her wanted to tell the truth, that she had once been a Magical Girl before her soul was repaired. But explaining that to these girls would be impossible, especially when she had no proof. The thought of lying put a sour taste in Flick's mouth, but she really had no other choice in this situation.

"You're right," Flick said. "I'm not a Magical Girl. I ran into that labyrinth by accident. My friends were Magical Girls, so I know about them. I swear I had no intentions of getting in your way."

_There. I didn't lie at all in that statement. Just . . . bended the truth and oh dammit I sound like Kyubey!_

At least her secrets were about her, and not about the terrible future these girls would face.

"You shouldn't be so reckless," the woman said. She faced the other girls again. "As for that rumor, I'm sure you've realized by now. There are far more Witches here. Stronger Witches. There's nothing to save you here."

Even Flick winced at that statement. The raven haired girl was clearly desperate for some form of salvation, and Flick couldn't blame her. No one deserved the fate of a Magical Girl.

The woman held out the two grief seeds. "You two should take these." She tossed one to each of the girls. "If you three are smart, you'll stay away from Kamihama City." She looked at Flick. "You also aren't from here, correct?"

"No, I'm not," Flick said. "Though I was thinking about moving here."

"Don't," the woman said. "You may not be a Magical Girl, but you're clearly familiar with us. There are some in this city who wouldn't take kindly to your presence, even if you aren't hunting Witches yourself."

That had to be the Magius. Did this girl know anything?

"Are you referring to . . .?" Flick waited for the woman to fill in the silence. All she got was a frown and a blink. Flick shook her head. "Nevermind. I'll take the train out."

 _Wait, train? How would I_ —"

Flick fished into her pocket, pulling out a train pass and an ID, along with some cash. Well that was convenient.

It was then that Flick remembered the other event that had occurred in the labyrinth. "Is that small Kyubey native to this city?" Flick asked.

"A small Kyubey?" the woman asked. "I don't recall ever seeing one smaller than the normal size. And besides, there is no Kyubey in Kamihama now."

Flick's breath caught in her throat. No Kyubey. That meant she would have to leave the city in order to contract.

"There isn't?" the pink haired girl asked. Flick noticed her frown.

"I don't know where it is, and I don't care," the woman said. "But our grief seeds are being collected somewhere else, so it doesn't matter if it isn't around."

"So the baby Kyubey isn't here," the pink haired girl murmured. "It came and helped me in the labyrinth."

"If I end up crossing paths with it, I'll be sure to pass on your thanks," the woman promised.

"You'd do that?" The younger girl bowed. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

There clearly wasn't much else to say. With one final, ominous warning to pass on the message about other Magical Girls not being welcome in Kamihama, the woman turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Flick called out, making the woman turn around. "I want to thank you properly for saving us back there. Can I get your name?"

". . . Yachiyo Nanami."

Flick bowed. "Thank you, Nanami-san." Weird, how Japanese honorifics still came easily to her, despite her upbringing in America. A side effect of her wish. "My name is Felicity Chambers, and I promise to pay you back someday."

Yachiyo stared at her for a moment, before turning away. "You shouldn't bother." She walked away, leaving Flick alone with the other two.

"Um," the pink haired girl spoke. "I'm Iroha Tamaki."

Flick managed to conceal her sudden reaction from showing on her face. She had wondered why Madoka had dropped her in a labyrinth of all places. Was it because Iroha was there?

" _You can trust Iroha Tamaki."_

Why had Madoka said that? What was so important about this girl?

"Kuroe," the other girl said.

Flick smiled. "I'm glad to meet both of you. You said you're from Takarazaki?"

"Yes," Iroha said.

"I was planning on heading out in that direction," Flick lied. "Can I join you two on the train?"

Iroha looked at Kuroe. Seeing no objections from the other girl, she smiled. "Sure!"

_Great. And maybe I can get some answers while I'm at it._

* * *

The train was so silent, with everyone focused on themselves, that Flick almost didn't want to speak. It didn't help that the girls sitting down next to her looked so solemn.

"Magical Girls can be saved in Kamihama," Flick muttered, just loud enough for her companions to hear. "It's just like what that girl said in my dream."

Kuroe's gaze snapped toward Flick. "You had that dream, too?"

Flick nodded. "There was a young girl. She said to come to Kamihama if I wanted to be saved."

"It's just like mine!" Kuroe exclaimed. Then, she frowned. "But you're not a Magical Girl."

"Ah." Flick rubbed the back of her head. "I was planning on making a contract soon. Maybe whatever is causing these dreams picked up on that."

"You want to become a Magical Girl?" Iroha asked.

"Mhmm." Flick tapped her fingers together. "I've seen how awful it can be, but . . . there's something I have to do. And I won't be able to accomplish it as a normal girl."

"You would sell yourself into this life for that?" Kuroe asked, her voice emotionless.

"Without question," Flick said.

Kuroe stared at her, before shrugging and turning away. "Just be careful. I doubt it will be long before you want to be free of such a life."

"Like you are," Flick said, watching Kuroe for any response. Her face remained impassive, but there was a slight jolt in her shoulders. "There has to be some other way to be happy, besides seeking out a rumor in Kamihama."

"Like what?" Kuroe challenged, glaring at the floor.

"Having others to lessen the burden," Flick said. "It doesn't just have to be the two of you."

"It's hardly that," Kuroe said. "We work together when necessary, but we're hardly friends."

Iroha pointedly turned her attention to the ceiling.

Seeing how sensitive that topic could be, Flick took another approach. "What about working with a veteran? If there aren't any in Takarazaki, you can find someone in a nearby city."

Kuroe scoffed. "As if there are any veterans who would work with an unknown Magical Girl."

There. Flick had an opening.

"You know," Flick said. "I heard there's a girl in Mitakihara, called Mami Tomoe." If this universe was like Flick's, only missing Alters, then Mami should be there. At least, if Flick had the right understanding of how these different universes worked. "Apparently, she's taken on Magical Girls as apprentices in the past."

Kuroe didn't respond, making the topic drop entirely. Still, Flick hoped she had at least piqued the other girl's curiosity.

Little did she know that she had just taken the first major step in changing these girls' fates.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I should have mentioned this last chapter, but starting from Chapter 2, I have a beta reader for this story! I wanted to seek out someone who wasn't familiar with** _**Heretical Edge** _ **, so that I could make good on my promise to make this fic friendly to readers only familiar with** _**Magia Record.** _ **Thank you, LazyKatie, for offering to help me out!**

**Her Twitter can be found[here](https://twitter.com/yachimifus).**

Chapter 3

Flick wasn't able to get any information about Iroha during the remainder of the train ride, other than the girl was painfully sweet. She reminded Flick of Madoka, always wanting everyone to be happy. Honestly, the longer their conversation went on, the more Flick felt like a bitch for lying to her. More than anything, she wanted to tell Iroha why she was here, and ask the girl for help. But she couldn't. Not yet, at least.

Soon, the train reached Takarazaki, and Iroha and Kuroe bid her farewell. Flick herself got off at the next stop, a town in between two of the cities. It didn't matter where she was, as long as her hunch was right.

_I came out of Kamihama, a place Kyubey apparently can't reach, alongside two Magical Girls. There's no way he would ignore that._

The thought crossed her mind that because she had once made a contract, she had no potential left to become a Magical Girl. When Avalon had been hiding her status as a Magical Girl from Kyubey, he had commented that he couldn't sense a drop of potential from her. Would Flick be the same?

Regardless, she continued her plan. It was pretty unlikely anyway, considering the details of Madoka's wish which had fixed her soul.

Walking out of the station, Flick made her way to a quieter street. By this time of night, there wasn't a single person walking around. The emptiness made Flick shiver, and she looked over her shoulder once or twice, but she kept going.

Finally, she spotted a trail to the town's shrine. She took that trail, and on the other side was a clearing with a stone path leading to a wooden structure. There was red fencing surrounding it, and at the front was an offering box.

More importantly, standing on top of the shrine was a familiar white rat.

" _Felicity Chambers,"_ Kyubey spoke in her mind. _"You are quite an odd case."_

It took all of Flick's willpower to suppress a shudder. Kyubey speaking in her mind certainly didn't help her nerves. The reminder of how alien he was, how little he understood humans, was enough to bring any doubts Flick had about making a contract to the surface of her mind. What if her wish backfired? What if Kyubey trapped her in a position where she could transform into a Witch? Becoming a Magical Girl would give Flick the power to fight, but she was sure it would put her in far more danger.

Her nails were digging into her palms. Flick took a deep breath, then unclenched her fists.

_I won't turn back now. I promised Madoka I would do this._

"How do you know my name?" Flick asked, feigning ignorance. Chances were, one of his drones was talking to Iroha or Kuroe at that moment.

" _It's my job to scout out candidates for Magical Girls. When there's someone with as much potential as you, I should at least know your name."_ His tail swished back and forth. _"Normally, I wouldn't approach you so suddenly. I would take the time to see if you were interested in making a contract. But you seemed to appear out of nowhere, going undetected until you were with two other Magical Girls. I admit, I was curious."_

 _Lying bastard._ Could he even get curious?

Flick shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a mysterious girl."

" _Indeed,"_ Kyubey said. _"You don't seem in any way shocked at the concept of Magical Girls."_

"It's a long story," Flick said. She let a sliver of her anger show in her glare. "One I have no interest in sharing with you. You don't need to know everything about me to make a contract."

" _Ah."_ Kyubey tilted his head. _"So you want to become a Magical Girl?"_

Flick swallowed. "I do. I have a wish I want granted."

" _Then say it, Felicity Chambers. Speak the wish which will empower your soul."_

This was it, then. After this moment, there would be no turning back.

Fortunately, Flick had a wish in mind.

"I wish," Flick spoke, closing her eyes and putting a hand to her chest, "to save those who are in need."

For the second time in her life, Flick felt her soul being ripped out of her body. The first time this had happened, she had fallen to the ground and passed out. This time, even though the pain tore through her whole being, she remained standing, gritting her teeth.

" _Your wish has prevailed."_ Kyubey said. A marvelous, golden light emerged from her body. Once it rose above her head, it took form as a gem shaped like wings. Flick reached out a hand to take hold of the descending object. _"Now go forth, and face your destiny!"_

With a flash of light, Flick transformed. She was a Magical Girl once more.

* * *

Flick went straight back to Kamihama.

Maybe she should have waited before rushing back in, but what could she do outside the city? The only idea that came to her mind was meeting this universe's versions of her friends from Mitakihara, but that would bring a whole new set of problems for Flick to deal with. There had been so much danger in Mitakihara before, and there was no telling how things would go this time around. Better for Flick to destroy Eve as quickly as possible, so that none of her friends could turn into Witches.

Before anything else, she wanted a decent supply of grief seeds. The moment she had stepped into Kamihama, she sensed countless Witches. She wasn't even aware that many could gather in one place. Madoka had said she wouldn't become a Witch herself should her soul gem darken, but with this many Witches around, she was better safe than sorry.

And so, despite Yachiyo's warnings otherwise, Flick was once more inside a Witch's labyrinth. This one felt different from the normal labyrinths, though. It had started off as a dark, empty mansion. There hadn't been a Familiar in sight.

She climbed up the staircase, reaching two large mirrors. Frowning, Flick placed her hand against one.

A flash of light emitted from the mirror. Flick cried out, covering her eyes.

_What the hell?_

Before she could find answers, she felt something slam into her. Flick's eyes opened just in time to see a coffin-shaped being pushing her straight into one of the mirrors. There was no time for her to react. Already, she was stumbling back, straight for the mirror's surface. Right before she would have collided with the object, there was a ripple in space.

Flick fell through it with a shout.

* * *

_What . . . was that?_

Flick groaned, picking herself off the ground. She was in a different place from before. It was a long hallway, with a floor made of blue marble which showed Flick her own reflection. Countless mirrors adjourned the walls, which stretched higher than any room she had even been in.

_Was I thrown into a barrier? What is with this place?_

"Hehehe."

Flick whirled around at the sudden voice, moving to draw her weapon and face the threat. What she saw had her freeze with her hand centimeters away from her weapon.

It was . . . her.

Flick was not the same person she had been when making her first wish all those months ago. That reflected in her new Magical Girl outfit, which this copy of her was wearing.

The golden soul gem was the most noteworthy part of the outfit. Shaped like an angel's wings, it rested in her hair as a hair clip, while a simple hair tie kept her blonde hair in a ponytail.

As for her outfit itself, it consisted of multiple articles of clothing. First, there was the neon yellow blouse she wore. Over it, she wore a white, sleeveless jacket. The jacket trailed below her thighs, two yellow coattails fluttering in opposite directions. Her hands were covered by gloves made of sheer fabric, which ran all the way up to her elbows.

Covering her legs was a white pair of pants with neon yellow lines running down the sides. Finally, she had white boots reaching her ankles, tightened by yellow shoelaces.

Her familiar staff was no longer the weapon she could summon. Instead, she summoned a golden bow with curved blades making up both the top and bottom halves of the weapon. It seemed completely bullshit under most standards, but Heretic weapons included mecha animals that could shapeshift into miniguns or even a full suit of armor. As for the Magical Girl side of things, Flick still remembered when Mami had been able to pull out a whole-ass cannon out of nowhere.

All in all, it was a solid getup. One which Flick would certainly take the time to appreciate. That said, she would rather use a mirror for that, and not, you know, a _clone of herself._

"Who are you?" Flick snapped, snapping out of her daze to summon her bow.

"Ahahaha!" her doppleganger responded, rushing her. Flick brought her own up just in time to deflect a swing from the clone.

Fighting it was, then. Flick jumped back, pulling back on the bowstring. Rather than one arrow, five whole arrows made of green energy came into existence. She let them all loose.

Five arrows were heading for the clone, but she didn't care. Weaving through each one, she attempted to stab at Flick once more, using the bottom half of her bow.

Flick didn't block. Instead, she released a single arrow. When it collided with the other Flick's weapon, it exploded. The force of the blast had the clone stumbling back, bow nearly flying out of her hands. A few flames lingered on the weapon following the explosion, before dissipating entirely.

The opening was clear, and Flick took it, stabbing her blade deep into the clone's right side. She was rewarded when the clone gasped, bending over in pain and dropping her bow.

They were frozen like that for a moment, Flick still wondering what this was. Labyrinths were confusing at the best of times, but this was unlike anything else she had seen. Was this clone of her a Familiar? What path would Flick have to take to get to the Witch?

"Ha. Hehe. Ah."

Alright, this had to be a Familiar. Looking closer, Flick could see there wasn't a hint of sanity in its eyes. With that in mind, Flick yanked her weapon out of her clone, then lifted it above her head, intent on finishing it off.

"HAAAAH!" The clone's eyes almost burst out of its head, its mouth open in a wide gape.

"What?!" Flick tried to jump back, but she was too late. So focused had she been on the Familiar's face, that she hadn't paid any attention to its feet. To where the bow was.

The Familiar bent its foot so far back, it looked ready to break. A whole _ten_ arrows were pointed at the ground between them.

_This wasn't meant to be a fight. It was a suicide mission!_

That realization came the moment her clone's ankle snapped, releasing the bow string. All ten arrows, which would normally have spread out, all collided at a single point. A massive wave of force and heat burst forth, slamming into them both.

Flick screamed as the concussive force and heat both tore at her skin, peeling it away. Her body was flung back, slamming into a pillar. She heard something crack, before thumping to the ground.

Agony washed over Flick, making her whimper. Dammit, she was better than this! She knew better than to lose focus on a threat like that. In the moment, amidst her exhaustion from the night and confusion at all that was happening, she hadn't responded properly.

And now she was on the verge of unconsciousness, her vision swimming as it filled with black spots. She tried lifting her arm, only for it to burn with pain.

Panic started to fill her gut. She was badly injured, trapped in the middle of a Witch's labyrinth, unable to defend herself from the slightest threat.

Worse than all of that, she was alone.

_I'm an idiot. I'm sorry, Madoka, I didn't want to disappoint you like this._

"Oh my God, are you alright!"

Gray filled her vision. Flick blinked, and was briefly able to make out a face, wide teal eyes hovering over her.

It was the last thing she saw before falling unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Upon realizing she was waking up, Flick kept her eyes shut. Knowing that she was in a foreign world on a mission given to her by the goddess of Magical Girls, she wasn't sure where she would be safe. With that in mind, if she was in danger, she wanted as much information as possible. She searched her mind for the last thing she remembered.

_Right. I dropped my guard in the Witch's labyrinth. Dammit, what was I thinking?_

Her being tired was no excuse. Caution had been drilled into her head by Avalon, Tabbris, and her other teachers. In any other situation, she would have at least gotten some sleep before fighting.

Granted, this wasn't exactly a normal situation. Madoka was counting on her to destroy Eve before it hatched. If she ran out of time because she held out for too long . . .

"You want to hide this from them, then?" The voice, though lively, was unfamiliar.

"I . . . I don't know, yet. I want to talk to her, first." Another unfamiliar voice. No, wait. Flick recognized her, though barely. Flick had heard her voice before passing out.

_This girl saved me, then._

Flick pushed her current thoughts aside. Where was she, even? If only she could get an idea before opening her eyes—

Magic pulsed out of Flick's soul gem, sweeping over the area. As that happened, information on where everything was placed filled her mind. The girls were sitting down across from her, chatting over food. Their eyes would sometimes fall on Flick, but not in a malicious way. More like they were checking to make sure she was okay.

_Is this part of how my magic works?_ Flick wondered. She had a feeling there was more to it, but for now, this would definitely be helpful.

Her awareness extended far enough that she could read the whole room. There was a door on the far wall, with nothing blocking it. If these two wanted to trap Flick, they weren't making that fact obvious.

Making her decision, Flick opened her eyes. She was in a spacious room. It was filled with blue, from the floor, wall, ceiling, and even the lighting hanging above them. Flick had been placed on one of the couches, while the two other girls in the room sat in chairs opposite of her.

The first looked like she was Flick's age, and she had both a ribbon and a flower in her gray hair, which was tied into a ponytail. She wore a blue dress, styled after a maid outfit. Completing her outfit were white gloves and blue shoes.

There was a slice of cake in front of her, which she was pouring an unholy amount of ketchup on. Flick decided not to ask, instead turning her attention to the other girl.

Immediately, Flick recognized the girl as the one who had saved her. At the moment, she wasn't wearing a Magical Girl outfit. Instead, she wore a puffy long-sleeved red shirt, black shorts, black leggings, and brown pumps. She looked slightly older than Flick.

Her gaze snapped to Flick seconds after she opened her eyes. "Oh!" She got up, rushing to Flick's side. "Are you alright?"

Flick sat up, putting a hand on her head when it started to pound. "I think so. Thanks for saving me back there."

"Don't worry," the girl said. "I'm just glad I found you before it was too late. Of all the labyrinths you could have found as a new Magical Girl, the Mirror Witch's might have been the worst."

"The Mirror Witch?" Flick asked.

The girl nodded. "It doesn't attack normal people like most Witches. Instead, it hides deep inside its labyrinths, waiting for Magical Girls to enter so it can confuse them with its clones. Many Magical Girls have been lost to that Witch, so many of us leave it alone."

_Something like that exists in Kamihama?_

Flick sighed. "Just my luck. Though if you don't usually fight it, why were you in the labyrinth?"

"Ah!" The girl flushed. "It's a good idea to make sure the Mirror Witch is under control, even with all the problems it causes. That's why I go in there sometimes. I just happened to be there last night."

Last night? Flick looked at the small amount of daylight pouring into the room and confirmed it was now daytime. After being up for so long last night, and falling unconscious the way she had, Flick must have slept for hours.

"Either way, thanks again." Flick held out her hand. "I'm Felicity Chambers, by the way. Though I often go by Flick."

The girl shook her hand. "Mifuyu Azusa. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chambers-san."

"And I'm Mitama Yakumo!" The other girl said, rising from her seat with a flourish of her dress. "I'm the Coordinator of Kamihama City."

"Coordinator?" Flick asked.

"She adjusts our soul gems," Mifuyu explained, "making us more capable of fighting the stronger Witches in Kamihama. In exchange, we give her grief seeds."

"I'm not one for fighting, myself," Mitama added. "This little shop was the solution I came up with."

"A Magical Girl who can't fight Witches?" Flick asked. "How did you survive long enough to get a shop running in the first place?"

Mitama giggled. "Trade secret. If you'd like, I could align your soul gem for you. Though I would expect you to bring me grief seeds in the future as compensation."

Flick frowned. "Align my soul gem? How much would you be able to do with my soul gem if I handed it to you?"

Mitama waved away her concerns. "No worries. I run a completely legitimate business here. If I didn't, there would be dozens of Magical Girls after me by now."

Fair enough, Flick supposed. She certainly wouldn't want to fight against—

Wait.

"Dozens?!" Flick blurted. She knew Kamihama had more Magical Girls than most, especially from how frequent they seemed to appear at her mother's school, but still! She thought there were maybe between twenty to thirty Magical Girls. Mitakihara only had eight Magical Girls in its prime. How did this city manage so many girls hunting for resources?

"We have more than enough Witches to go around," Mifuyu said, guessing her thoughts. "Alliances are a common occurrence among Magical Girls in the city, and with the strength provided to us by the Coordinator, we're able to survive."

In other words, if Flick wanted to survive, she would have to let her soul gem be aligned. She sighed, summoning it to her open palm. "Alright. Align me, then, and I'll pay you back."

"With interest," Mitama said.

". . . Sure."

"Perfect! Now take off your clothes."

"What?!"

Flick closed her fist around her soul gem, pulling it back. Mitama, meanwhile, was smirking.

"Mitama!" Mifuyu scolded. She turned to Flick. "Ignore her Flick, she's only teasing you."

Those words did nothing for the wild blush that had appeared on Flick's face. "R-right. Can we get this over with now?"

Mitama laughed, but agreed, and Flick handed the other girl her soul gem. Other than a glow from the gem itself, there were no visible changes. Still, Flick felt the changes inside her. Her magic was growing, shifting. It was hard to describe, but it was like her soul gem had been disconnected from a system of souls, and was now slotting back into the correct place.

A minute passed before Mitama handed Flick her soul gem. "All done! You'll want to experiment with your new abilities. Especially connecting."

"Connecting?"

"It's a way to link your magic with another girl's," Mifuyu said. "You can unleash a powerful attack by doing so, and deal other useful effects at the same time. Would you like to try it on a Witch? You need a grief seed to bring to Mitama, after all. I could use the practice, myself."

"I would appreciate it," Flick said. "Thank you, both of you."

Mitama waved toward the exit. "Go on, you two. I'm sure there will be more customers who require my services soon."

Right. Flick and Mifuyu left, Mifuyu glancing back at Mitama as they did so. From there, they made their way out of the building and into the city.

It was time to hunt a Witch.

* * *

Mitama waited for the door to close before she let her emotions show on her face. Her smile was immediately replaced with a frown, as she sat down lost in thought.

She should have mentioned to that Flick girl that when she aligned a soul gem, she saw into the girl's past. Honestly, she didn't mean to snoop, it was just part of the process. Of course, she never told anyone what she saw. A girl's past was her own, and Mitama never saw reason to divulge anyone's secrets, despite some . . . unique Magical Girls.

Felicity Chambers, however, was far different from all the Magical Girls she had seen before.

_I thought she was brand new to this thing, but she's . . . I can't even comprehend everything she's done already._

A necromancer. A wish that rewrote her past. Struggling to survive in a city doomed to fall. Facing magic no Magical Girl had fought before. Turning into a Witch and becoming human once more. Fighting Walpurgisnacht, and then a Witch far more powerful than Walpurgisnacht minutes after. Saving the most powerful Magical Girl, so that they could create a brand new system of magic.

Receiving and accepting a request from a goddess. Coming to a universe far different from her own.

_Can all of that be true? It's not just her memory which is off, is it?_

Mitama wasn't sure what she should believe. If this was false, then someone had tampered with the girl's memory. But if it was true, Flick's situation, along with Mitama's own, was far more dire.

_I'm planning to remain a neutral party in all the events which come up. I have no reason to side with the Magius, but adjusting their souls and selling them grief seeds is part of my neutrality. It's no different than the services I provide all Magical Girls in the city._

Except by helping the Magius, there was a chance Mitama was sending the world into destruction. If they finished that project they were working on, Eve, apparently . . .

Mitama rose, placing a sign outside her door that she was closed for today. That accomplished, she poured herself a cup of tea and sat down on her couch.

She had plenty of thinking to do.

* * *

On the eastern side of the city, a girl was waking up in her small apartment. Her immediate instinct was to say good morning to the girl sleeping in the same room as her.

When she received no response, her heart sank. Memories came rushing back to her.

" _Run!"_

" _Mom! Dad!"_

" _I wish—"_

" _Just let me see them again!"_

Tears streamed down her face. Why?! Why couldn't she find them?! Her wish had brought her 200 years into the future. That couldn't have been random. Magic must have evolved in some way. A way that would let her see her family again. Yet so far no signs had pointed to the system of Magical Girls and Witches changing.

Or rather, there was only one sign. One small thread of hope that she had latched onto.

_The Magius . . ._ She wasn't sure she could trust them, but they had promised to free Magical Girls from their fate of becoming Witches. Such an alteration to the system they were familiar with had to come with side effects. It wasn't a coincidence that her wish had brought her to the city where these changes would take place. She was sure of that.

Sighing, she got out of bed, making a quick meal and fixing herself up. When that was done, she put on a familiar black coat. One which marked her as a member of the Wings of the Magius, those who served the Magius so that they would accomplish their goal of liberating all Magical Girls. Though she was a relatively new member, they would still be expecting her at the hideout for a meeting soon. Whatever task they gave her, she swore she would see it done.

After all, that was the only hope Shiori Porter—or rather—Reathma Akharu, had left.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A massive rabbit plush wasn't the weirdest Witch that Flick had fought, but it was up there.

The Witch charged at Flick, forcing her to jump back. In the air, she fired a shot from her bow, which hit the Witch dead on. While it was stumbling back, Mifuyu followed up by throwing her weapon—a chakram—at the Witch. That was enough to knock it off its feet.

"Flick!" Mifuyu held out her hand. With a nod, Flick ran up to her and took it.

The moment their fingers connected, Flick felt a surge of power. Her body felt like it might burst from all the energy it contained. Taking a second to look over herself, Flick could see that she was glowing.

_This is connecting?_

Flick pulled her bow back, putting all that energy into a single arrow. She let loose, hitting the Witch that was still trying to pick itself up.

Flames engulfed the Witch, far larger than the flames which normally burst from Flick's arrows. She couldn't even see the Witch within the flames, only hear its scream. That scream was quickly cut off, along with the Witch's life.

Flick let out a sigh of relief as the barrier dissolved. After the disaster with the last Witch, Flick had wondered if her magic was any weaker. Maybe being connected to the Committee had somehow taken away from her potential as a Magical Girl.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case. If anything, she felt stronger than she had after first making a contract. Which, admittedly, was a scary thought considering how deadly of a Witch she had turned into back then.

"You did well," Mifuyu said, picking up the grief seed. She tossed the object to Flick, who caught it with one hand.

_This was once a Magical Girl,_ Flick thought, staring at the black gem in her hand. _Kyubey tricked her, turning her into a monster._

That had to end, for good. Madoka hadn't told Flick just how many universes were out there which contained Magical Girls, but Madoka's presence was that of a being who spanned many different universes. All of which were supposed to be under her protection. Yet only one wasn't. This universe continued to suffer. And Madoka had entrusted Flick with putting an end to that suffering.

Flick took a deep breath. _You can do this, Flick. You can._

"Chambers?" Mifuyu was waving a hand in front of Flick's face. "Are you alright?"

Flick blinked. Mifuyu was watching her with a frown.

"I'm fine." Flick coughed. "You know you can call me Flick, right?" Mifuyu was only two years older than Flick, and it wasn't like they had any reason not to get along.

"Ah," Mifuyu said. "In that case, feel free to refer to me as Mifuyu."

Flick smiled. "Alright then, Mifuyu. Let's get this seed to the Coordinator before she decides to up my interest."

Mifuyu giggled. "That does sound like something she would do. Believe it or not, she's a caring woman once you get to know her."

"You must all really trust her," Flick said as they began walking. "I heard Kyubey isn't in this city. Is she the one collecting all the grief seeds?"

There was a slight stumble in Mifuyu's step. "She is," Mifuyu said. "Even the used up ones."

Well, _that_ had some interesting implications. Mitama's power was far from normal, so Flick had no doubt she got some use out of them. Of course, Flick couldn't even begin to guess what that use was.

_Still, she must know everything about this city, especially the Magical Girl side of it. Maybe she can help me with my housing problem._

While fighting the Witch, it had occurred to Flick that she had nowhere to stay once night hit. Last night, she had been awake hunting Witches, then unconscious recovering at the Coordinator's. Neither of those options would serve her well long-term.

"What do I do?" Flick muttered to herself.

"What do you mean?" Mifuyu asked. Flick jumped at the question.

"Oh, um, I was just . . . thinking about what comes next."

"Oh?" Mifuyu raised an eyebrow.

Flick rubbed the back of her head. "If I'm going to be staying in Kamihama for a while, I need some sort of plan, right?"

For some reason, Flick's question was met with silence. Mifuyu looked away, but Flick could still see enough of her face to know she was deep in thought.

"Flick," Mifuyu eventually said. "Why did you come to Kamihama?"

Though the question came out of nowhere, Flick had an answer prepared. After her discussion with Iroha and Kuroe, Flick had realized she would need one. Luckily, she had already brought up a topic with Kuroe that she could use as an excuse.

"Magical Girls can be saved in Kamihama." Flick watched Mifuyu for a reaction. The woman's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in an "o" shape. Mifuyu contained her reaction quickly, returning to a neutral expression.

"Saved," Mifuyu echoed. A statement, not a question.

"I heard it in a dream," Flick said. "I know, that sounds weird, but apparently I'm not the only one. I'm not exactly looking to be saved myself, but I was curious. Why Kamihama? What's happening in this city?"

Once again, Mifuyu said nothing. Flick took the chance to consider the other girl's response to Flick's earlier statement.

_No doubt she was surprised. But is that because she hadn't heard such a thing before, or does she know something?_

Flick would take any hints. Anything that could point her toward the Magius. Even if they were just rumors that Magical Girls in the city had heard, if Flick could just find a lead, she could act. She wouldn't have to wander aimlessly.

"Many girls from different cities have been coming here, hoping to be saved," Mifuyu said. "You don't want to know why they're seeking such a thing?"

"I think I have an idea already," Flick said. She met Mifuyu's eyes with her own. "Do you?"

Mifuyu froze, looking like a deer in headlights. That was more than enough of an answer.

* * *

Mifuyu had no idea what to do. When this subject came up, it was usually Mifuyu who approached the topic, and the other girl who was stunned. When a girl found out the truth about Magical Girls and Witches, they were scared. That had always been the case. In that frightened mindset, it was no wonder most of them sought liberation. To those girls, Mifuyu had no trouble mentioning the people she worked for.

This was different. Felicity Chambers clearly knew the truth already. Was she really a new Magical Girl like Mifuyu had assumed?

No, that didn't matter. What mattered was that she knew the truth, yet had supposedly not come to Kamihama for liberation herself. If the girl was to be believed, it was curiosity which had brought her here.

But then, what would she think when she saw the Magius? Would she trust them, or fear them? Just being near the girl, Mifuyu could sense the vast amount of magic she held. Flick could no doubt be a powerful asset for the Magius. In fact, if she wished to, she would surely rise to become a White Feather in no time. But if she didn't, or rather, if she chose to be their enemy . . .

_Alina would probably want to kill Flick herself. She would be fascinated by Flick, and want to make her one of her artworks. Touka and Nemu wouldn't care, as long as any threat to their plans was eliminated. That shouldn't happen. Flick doesn't deserve to die._

That was true, yet Mifuyu knew her thoughts were far more selfish. If the Magius saw how easy it was to merely kill their enemies, and Yachan decided to oppose them . . .

Mifuyu couldn't bear to finish the thought.

They were approaching the Coordinator's. Mifuyu's silence was damning on its own, but Flick seemed content waiting for her. Knowing that, Mifuyu decided on what she would say.

"I do. I know the fate of Magical Girls. I saw it happen to one of my friends."

Flick nodded solemnly at that. "I'm sorry."

Mifuyu hardened her gaze before meeting Flick's eyes once more. "Flick, it is true that Magical Girls will not turn into Witches in Kamihama. Even so, the Witches here are dangerous. If you aren't here to be saved, then you shouldn't stay. You would be better off forgetting about this city entirely."

"Another girl told me that already." Flick sighed. "Sorry, Mifuyu. I can't leave Kamihama. Besides, even if I did, I wouldn't have anywhere to go."

Mifuyu frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, well," Flick's cheeks pinkened, "I don't have anywhere to stay. Not in Kamihama or outside the city."

_An orphan?_ Flick wouldn't be the only Magical Girl forced to survive on the streets. Still, she didn't give off that sort of impression. The Magical Girls without a home who Mifuyu had met often distanced themselves from others, and were slow to accept hospitality. At least, if they didn't feel like they were forcing it out of others.

Flick had nowhere to go, yet continued to cooperate with other Magical Girls. She knew about Witches, yet didn't seek salvation for herself. She knew of the dangers Kamihama posed, yet had no intention of leaving.

Just who was Felicity Chambers?

"Stay at my place," Mifuyu found herself saying. Flick's head snapped in her direction. "There's more than enough space for two people, and I'm the only one living there right now, so there wouldn't be any problems."

Now it was Flick's turn to stay silent. They reached the Coordinator's, Flick's hand unmoving on the doorknob, when she finally spoke. "Why? I appreciate it, but something tells me you don't just pick girls off the street." She winced. "Alright, that was poor phrasing, but you get my point."

Mifuyu smiled, her thoughts drifting toward a girl who would help anyone on their own without hesitation. "You wouldn't be the only one to benefit, here. My scholarship keeps me busy, so it's getting harder to find time to hunt. I would be expecting you to find grief seeds for me."

And maybe, given some time, Mifuyu could decide whether or not to bring Flick into the Wings of the Magius.

"So," Mifuyu said, "do we have a deal?"

Flick took a minute to consider, then gave Mifuyu her response.

"We have a deal."

* * *

For the hundredth time, Kuroe considered turning around. What was she doing? Why was she in an unfamiliar city based only on the words said by a girl she had just met? She should be returning to Kamihama, figuring out the truth of her dream. She didn't believe for a second that the woman she'd met was right in saying Kamihama held no hope for her.

Yet here she was, stepping in front of an apartment door. Kuroe lifted a finger to press the doorbell, only to consider once more.

_The worst she'll do is turn me away. Actually, that would be easier. Then I could take the next train to Kamihama._

Before she could think on it further, Kuroe slammed her finger into the doorbell. What followed was a minute of her shuffling on her feet, occasionally glancing behind her, wondering if she should run while she had the chance.

Finally, the door opened, revealing a girl her age. Her golden hair was styled into two drills, and the look in her eyes looked more like it belonged to an adult, rather than a teenager.

"Can I help you?" Mami Tomoe asked.

Kuroe took a deep breath. _Let's just get this over with._

"My name is Kuroe," she said. Then, she transformed into her Magical Girl outfit. "Mami Tomoe, would you be willing to have me as your apprentice?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Growing up, Flick had dreamed of being an investigative reporter just like her dad. She wanted to expose the darker sides of the world for all to see. That had led to her spending hours learning how to properly run an investigation. By the time she was 17, she had believed herself to be a skilled reporter. Even if she was only reporting for her school paper at the time.

With all of this in mind, it was safe to say she was feeling shameful after days of investigating and not finding any clues about the Magius.

After settling down at Mifuyu's place, Flick had spent the days wandering the streets of Kamihama, following traces of magic. She paid close attention to malicious sources of magic, hoping they would lead to Eve. So far, however, she had only found Witches, and any Magical Girls she had encountered didn't seem to know anything about the Magius.

Flick was taking the day off today, resting in Mifuyu's apartment. She had gathered more than enough grief seeds for the two of them in the past few days, and her body needed time to rest. There were, of course, plenty of cafes and diners in Kamihama which Flick could visit, but she wasn't exactly rolling in money, and she didn't want to push Mifuyu's hospitality any further.

Actually, Flick had spent almost all the money Madoka had provided her on a single purchase: a laptop. Currently, she was sitting in a recliner chair and searching the internet for information about Magical Girls. Yeah, this was supposed to be her day off, but only for searching Kamihama itself. Surely there would be at least one place online where Magical Girls gathered, even if the rest of the internet thought they were roleplaying.

Her first few searches for Magical Girl message boards had, obviously, pulled up sites about anime. She had gathered a list of Magical Girl anime to exclude in her searches, but not even that helped.

Sighing, Flick pulled up a local Kamihama form. She started to input multiple searches, skimming through the results.

**Magical Girl**

**Kyubey**

**Witch**

**Magius**

**Eve**

**Lincoln Chambers**

Okay, that last one was her getting distracted. But hey, apparently her dad lived in California in this universe, which was interesting.

 _One more,_ Flick thought. _Then I'll take a break._

**Rumor**

The first few results were predictably disappointing. There were no rumors about Magical Girls, strange cults, or anything of the sorts. Just gossip and politics. Finally, however, a headline caught Flick's attention.

**Topic — Friendship Ending Staircase Solved?**

— **OnceWereWarriors**

**Everyone who went missing after writing their names on the Friendship Ending Staircase have been reportedly found! For those unaware, the Friendship Ending Staircase was a staircase in Kamihama City University Affiliated School, middle school division. The rumor went that if you wrote your name on the sixth step, and the name of someone you wanted to end a friendship with on the seventh step, your friendship would be officially over. Not only that, but those who tried to make up would be abducted by the staircase, forced to clean an endless set of stairs.**

**Honestly, it sounds ridiculous, but for the past few weeks, people have gone missing after writing their names on the sixth and seventh steps. There wasn't a trace of them anywhere until they suddenly returned. Even stranger, those who went missing don't remember anything!**

**The case is supposedly solved, with no one else going missing, even after writing their names on their staircase. And don't get me wrong, it's great that everyone was safe, but no one knowing what happened feels . . . unsatisfying. What happened to them? Why don't they remember anything? Were they abducted? Or was there really magic involved?**

**Okay, we can discount that last option, but still. Anyone got theories?**

**[][][]**

Flick reread the post, then reread it again. People had gone missing because of a staircase? That sounded far more likely to be a Witch, especially with everyone missing their memory. But if that was the case, how had they all returned without harm? Witches didn't kidnap people and leave them around, they killed them. And writing your names on a staircase? That made no sense. There had to be more to this rumor.

For the next few hours, Flick scoured the message boards for everything related to the rumor. Conspiracy theories were running wild, but there was no denying that the victims were those who wrote their names on the staircase. It was even proven to be in their own handwriting, and not that of a kidnapper.

Clearly, Flick was going to have to investigate this staircase herself. Looking up the school's schedule, she saw it would let out shortly. If there was any time to ask lingering students questions, it would be now.

Grabbing a pen and paper, Flick headed out to investigate.

* * *

Yup, that was a staircase alright.

There really wasn't much else to say. From her research, Flick knew she had the right place, but there were no signs otherwise. The names had been cleaned off, and it wasn't like a massive pit was about to open in the staircase and swallow her whole.

Well, looking over evidence was only part of an investigation. Witness interrogation was just as important, if not moreso. Even when a witness account made no sense, sometimes there was something to pull from it.

Flick had a list compiled of those whose names had been written on the staircase. Finding them would be the best place to start, but since she didn't have their faces, she had to ask around. Who to start with, though?

 _There._ Two girls were walking down the hallway, gossiping about a supposed affair between two teachers. They were exactly the type of people Flick could go to about rumors.

"Excuse me?" Flick asked, drawing their attention to her. "I'm trying to compile a report for an online class I'm taking. It's about unsolved mysteries. Mine is on the Friendship Ending Staircase. Would you two happen to know anything about it?

"I guess?" one of the girls said. "It's old news now, but I saw a guy writing on the staircase back when it happened."

"Ohhh, you mean Makoto, right?" the second girl asked. She frowned. "But he never went missing. Did he?"

"Nope," the first girl said. "Not like I know him, though. We share one class, and he barely talks. I didn't even know he had a friend!"

"Well, I know someone who knows a girl that vanished. But she can't get Tira to talk about it!"

"As for anyone else . . ." The first girl shrugged. "Sorry. Most of it's online. Not much else we can tell you."

"That's fine," Flick said. "Would you mind telling me what this Makoto looks like?"

"Short, spiky brown hair. Wears glasses. Good luck picking him out in a crowd."

"Thanks," Flick said, and with that, the girls walked away. Maybe this Makoto was still on campus. If he knew someone who had vanished, he could possibly tell her how it happened.

"This won't get you anywhere, you know?"

The sharp question had Flick turning around. Behind her was a short, blue haired girl with pink hair ties on either side of her hair. She was scowling.

"What do you mean?" Flick asked.

"You're looking into the Friendship Ending Staircase? You shouldn't bother. No one knows what happened, and they never will."

Flick frowned. "How are you so sure?"

The girl crossed her arms. "I just am, alright?"

"Do you know anyone who was taken?" Flick asked.

"No," came the immediate reply, but Flick caught her flinch.

_She's lying. But how do I catch her in it without making her run away?_

"There's really nothing more to the Staircase than what's online?" Flick asked.

"There's nothing at all," the girl said. "You're wasting your time here."

"Maybe," Flick said. "Still, as a reporter, I have to fully investigate every avenue. If they're dead ends, that just narrows down the possibilities. I'll ask around, get a few accounts, then develop a story from them."

The girl glared at her. "Why write a story on this?"

_Give her a good reason, Flick. Don't make her think you're just a nosey reporter. Make her want to tell you the truth._

"Other people have gone missing in Kamihama," Flick said. That was true, as long as Witches existed. "Not from the staircase, but something else. I want my stories to inform people so they know what to look out for."

"I thought this was just a school project," the girl said.

"That doesn't mean I don't care," was Flick's response.

They stared at each other for a few moments, the girl's eyes narrowed. Finally, the girl sighed.

"I'll tell you something, but only so you don't go poking your nose into danger. Come with me."

The girl led her to the roof, where there were multiple chairs scattered. She moved two across from each other, then sat in one. Flick took the seat across from her.

"People who went missing always did at the time they apologized," the girl said. "One moment they were there, the next they weren't."

 _Did she see it?_ Flick almost asked, before remembering part of what she had learned from her father. When asking questions, you wanted to be as quiet as possible, letting the person talk on their own. Often, they would reveal something they otherwise wouldn't if you had guided them with questions.

"The apology was necessary. It had to be genuine. A true breakup. Everyone who got taken honestly wanted to fix a friendship."

"I wonder why someone would write their names on a staircase with a rumor like that," Flick said in the silence that followed.

Again, a minor flinch. "People are stupid. Why wouldn't they?"

"I suppose," Flick said. "For people to just disappear, though . . . no regular kidnapper could pull that off, especially with the timing. How would they know that an apology is happening? Or even that it's genuine?"

"How would I know?" the girl asked.

"I'm wondering if there's more to this," Flick said. "If you heard people were disappearing so suddenly, what would you think?"

"It makes no sense," the girl said, but she looked away. "That's it. Whatever it is, no one can figure it out, and if you disappear there's no guarantee you'll be returned. Might as well get your information online and leave it at that."

"There's no danger in asking around," Flick said. She flipped to a certain page in her notebook. "I can at least talk to the people whose names were on the Staircase. They were online, and I wrote them down here."

"What?!" The girl snatched the notebook out of Flick's hand, staring at it with wide eyes. "No! Don't go to K—"

"To . . .?"

The girl grimaced. "Fine. I wrote my name on the staircase. Kaede's too. She's been through enough because of me, so don't bother her with this, okay? Don't remind her about what I did to her."

"I'm sorry," Flick said, accepting the notebook which the other girl handed back to her. "There's just something I have to find out." With this, she moved the finger which was covering her ring. The gem and pattern were on display, and Flick made sure the girl could see it.

Sure enough, Flick's action was met with wide eyes and a strangled sound. "You . . ." the girl sputtered. "You're a—"

"Please," Flick said. "I need to know more about this Friendship Ending Staircase."

* * *

"Mifuyu!"

"Mifuyu!"

The two girls rushed toward Mifuyu, only stopping when they were a few feet in front of her.

"Hello, Tsukuyo, Tsukasa." Mifuyu smiled. "How have you been?"

"We want to visit you!" Tsukasa complained.

"Are you ever going to tell us why we can't drop by your house?" Tsukuyo said. "We only see you here now."

'Here' referring to Hotel Fendt, the Magius base. Mifuyu had been walking down one of the hallways when she had run into the Amane twins.

"My living situation is a bit . . . complicated at the moment," Mifuyu said. "I promise I'll let you two visit soon."

"Is your house clean?" Tsukuyo said. "You're taking care of yourself, right?"

Mifuyu flushed. Relying on the kindness of girls younger than her had been embarrassing enough, but for them to be so obviously concerned over Mifuyu getting her chores done . . .

_Then again, Flick is doing them now as part of our agreement, and she's also younger than me. I have no shame, do I?_

Trying to ignore her embarrassment, Mifuyu assured the girls. "I'm fine, don't worry. More importantly, you two were tasked with checking on the new rumor last night, weren't you?"

"It's still there," Tsukasa said. "We didn't write any names down, so we couldn't go inside, but we felt the Uwasa."

"Good," Mifuyu said. "The Seance Shrine Rumor must remain intact."

_It has to. Yachan will be safe in the Seance Shrine. She . . . she will have that copy of me to keep her happy. The Magius won't harm her. She'll be fine._

It wasn't the first time Mifuyu had assured herself that, nor would it be the last. After Yachiyo had been involved in destroying the Rumor of the Friendship Ending Staircase, Mifuyu had known she was running out of time. Being trapped in a Rumor wasn't ideal, but surely that was better for Yachan than being dead.

Right?

_She's safe. Yachan is safe. I did the right thing in having Nemu make the Seance Shrine Rumor._

Besides, once they reached liberation, Mifuyu would get Yachiyo out of that rumor. Then neither of them would have to fear for the future.

"Mifuyu?" Tsukuyo asked.

Mifuyu shook off her daze. "It's nothing. I was just thinking that we should assign some of the Black Feathers to the shrine just in case. You two can handle that, right?"

"Right!" the twins chorused.

"Thank you," Mifuyu said. "Now let's meet up with the Magius before they start to wonder where we are."

Nodding, the two followed her. All the while, Mifuyu was thinking of what would come next.

_Once Yachan is trapped in the Rumor, I have to figure out where Flick's allegiances lie. I really hope I can convince her to join the Wings of the Magius._

Otherwise, not even Mifuyu would be able to protect her.

**A/N: Nee~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

As much as Flick would have liked to get answers immediately, the girl—who had given her name as Rena Minami—made it clear that wouldn't happen. She had demanded they head to the Coordinator's before continuing. Rena's friends would be waiting for them there.

Rena wasn't eager to talk during the trip there, so Flick was left with her thoughts. Which, of course, led to her worrying.

She wished Madoka had contacted her by now. Flick didn't know how difficult that was for the goddess, but since she had assured Flick she would check on her, Flick had gone to bed the past few nights hoping Madoka would show up in her dreams. Yet so far that hadn't happened.

There was plenty Flick wanted to talk to Madoka about. The main thing, however, was Flick's concerns about her magic.

Though she couldn't access her Committee powers provided to her by the Heretical Edge, Flick still should have been able to use natural magic, along with the powers given to her as a Magia. Except she had tried to call upon those powers, and failed. Was her connection to her universe's Madoka's soul gem, used to give powers to Magias after it had turned into a grief seed then been restored, also severed? That shouldn't have been possible, as being exposed to Madoka's soul gem was the same as being made into a Natural Heretic. Those powers didn't just vanish.

Flick had tried using magic, briefly. Any time she completed a spell, it activated properly, then suddenly vanished. She would only see a glimpse of the spell's effect before it was undone. It was almost as if something was absorbing all of her magic before she could properly utilize it. There was nothing else to indicate that was the case, though, and Flick was left with no idea as to what was going on.

She would have to ask Madoka once the goddess contacted her. Although, if Madoka knew, wouldn't she have told Flick ahead of time? There was the possibility that Madoka was just as in the dark as Flick.

That wasn't her only problem. Flick had a feeling that Mifuyu knew more than she was saying, though whether that was because she was working with the Magius or because of her own problems, Flick couldn't say. In the end, Flick had decided to trust Mifuyu, if only because she wanted to believe in the older girl. Her concern for Flick had been genuine, and the last thing Flick wanted to do was repay her hospitality by suspecting her.

Before she knew it, Flick had arrived at the Coordinator's. She banished her worries from her mind, and focused on her task. Reaching out, Flick opened the door to the Coordinator's place, with Rena keeping an eye on her. When the door opened, Flick was greeted with multiple faces—both familiar and unfamiliar. Of course, Mitama was there, but Flick wasn't expecting to see Iroha. The last time Flick had seen the pink haired girl, she had been returning to Takarazaki. Why had she come back to Kamihama?

As for the two Flick didn't recognize, there was a girl who looked to be in Middle School, probably the same age as Rena. Her hair, which was a mixture of red and brown, held two feather hairpins. The other girl seemed closer to Flick's age, her hair a lighter shade of blonde and also tied into a ponytail. Both girls were wearing the same uniform as Rena, marking them as students in the Kamihama City University Affiliated School District.

"Rena!" the brunette rose from her seat. "Who's that?"

"Flick!" Iroha stood to face her.

"Hey, Iroha." Flick waved. "Long time no see."

"Wait," Rena said. "You two know each other?"

"We met the night I first came to Kamihama," Iroha said. "We had ended up in the same labyrinth. Flick wasn't a Magical Girl at the time, though."

"Not a Magical Girl?" Rena frowned. "Then what was she doing in a labyrinth?"

"It's a long story," Flick said.

"You're a Magical Girl now, though?" the other blonde in the room asked.

In response, Flick transformed, causing everyone but Mitama to jump back.

"I have been for a few days now," Flick explained. "It's . . . been an adjustment process. Mainly, I've been getting used to Kamihama."

"Does that mean you found a place to stay in the city?" Iroha asked.

Flick chuckled. "Yeah, I guess neither of us heeded Nanami-San's warning, huh?"

The other blonde's head snapped in Flick's direction. "You met Yachiyo?"

"Yeah." Flick shrugged. "We didn't talk much, and all she really said was to stay out of Kamihama."

The blonde sighed, rubbing her hand against her forehead. "That sounds like Yachiyo, alright." She then extended that hand toward Flick. "Well, if you're staying in Kamihama, we should introduce ourselves. I'm Momoko Togame."

Flick shook her hand. "Felicity Chambers, but feel free to call me Flick."

"I'm Kaede Akino!" the brunette said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Flick said. She cleared her throat. "Now that that's out of the way, I could use your guys' help."

"She's looking into the Rumor of the Friendship Ending Staircase," Rena supplied.

"The rumor?" Iroha blinked. "Are you also looking for someone?"

"Not exactly," Flick said. Then, the wording of Iroha's question registered. "Wait, are _you_?"

"Y-yeah," Iroha said. "It's a long story."

Flick took a seat in the nearest chair. "Well, I'm all ears. Lay it on me."

Despite those words, she wasn't prepared for what Iroha would tell her.

* * *

"Your sister is missing, and only you remember her . . ." Flick's body was slack in the chair. "That's . . . wow."

The story Iroha had told her almost seemed unbelievable. After touching the mini Kyubey from that labyrinth, Iroha had dreamed of her lost little sister. Not only that, but there was no trace of her existence. Deciding that the strange circumstances of Kamihama might have to do with Ui Tamaki's disappearance, Iroha had returned to the city. There, she met Momoko and her team, consisting of Rena and Kaede. Those three were investigating what they had called the Chain Witch, which was behind multiple disappearances.

Just like Rena had said, she had gotten into a fight with Kaede, and written their names on the Friendship Ending Staircase. When Kaede had tried to apologize, the Chain Witch had abducted her. It wasn't until Rena herself apologized that the Witch that took Kaede appeared again, and the group was able to fight it. Except when it died, it didn't drop a grief seed. Yachiyo Nanami, who had been with them for the battle, had implied that whatever took Kaede and all those other people hadn't been a Witch.

Now, Iroha was still searching Kamihama, hoping to find traces of her sister. She was at the Coordinator's to find direction.

"So we're both looking into Rumors," Flick said. "In your case, it's to find Ui."

"You believe me about her, then?" Iroha asked. Looking her way, Flick could see the girl's stiff shoulders, and how her leg was bouncing. It was obvious that she was worried about people calling her delusional, or a liar.

Well, there were no doubts in Flick's mind that Ui Tamaki did exist. If not because of Iroha's words, then because of the feeling behind them. She spoke of Ui like Flick had spoken of her mom, before the day they finally reunited. There was an obvious connection between them, which no amount of magic could erase.

"Iroha." Flick leaned forward locked gazes with the younger girl. "For your sister's sake, you must never doubt yourself. No matter what anyone says, she's your sister, and it's your belief in her that matters the most. Don't let anyone tell you your memories are wrong. Because as long as Ui is out there, she won't give up on you."

"You . . ." Iroha swallowed. "You sound like you're talking from experience."

Flick leaned back. "I suppose I am, though my case was pretty different from yours."

"Either way, you're right." Iroha clenched both her fists and raised them to her shoulders. "I won't doubt my memories of Ui! I won't give up until I find her!"

Flick smiled. "I'm glad. Let's look into the Rumors together, Iroha. We both have reason to, after all."

"Actually, you never said why you care about the Rumors," Rena said.

"Right," Flick said. She winced, not because she was caught off guard, but because she had a lie prepared. She didn't want to get much better at lying than she already was, but ever since Madoka had sent her here, she had constantly needed to hide the truth.

It was Flick's personal philosophy that lying to someone who trusted you would only lead to them losing that trust when the lie was exposed. When the person was someone you wanted to trust yourself, there were definitely going to be problems when the truth came out. Things would only be more complicated and dramatic because you didn't tell the truth when you had the chance.

Even so, telling the truth here meant exposing not only the fate of Magical Girls, but also where Flick had come from. If someone believed her about Witches, but not about the Law of Cycles, then she would only be feeding into the fear that the Magius no doubt wanted Magical Girls to feel. No matter what, Flick would be forced to lie about how she had obtained her information. Her best option was to hold out until she had evidence, then confide in the others. The moment she found a way to prove Madoka's existence, she would explain everything. Flick promised herself that.

"Remember the rumors Kuroe had mentioned?" Flick asked. " They say Magical Girls can be saved in Kamihama. I don't think that's a coincidence, but I don't think there's a miracle waiting to happen either. Someone is using their magic to trick Magical Girls. My goal is to stop that."

"I have heard the rumors," Momoko said. "You think there's someone spreading them on purpose?"

"I do," Flick said. "And I think the chain creature you all encountered is related."

"It certainly is possible," Mitama said, speaking up for the first time since the conversation started. "What will you do if you find the ones behind all this, assuming your theory is true?"

"I'll stop whatever they're planning," Flick said. "I don't want to hurt them. I just want to keep innocent lives from getting involved."

"Is that so?" Mitama put a finger to her chin. "Well, if the two of you are sure about this, you may want to start your search here. She handed Flick a flyer. Once she got a closer look at it, Flick frowned.

"Chinese Restaurant Banbanzai?"

* * *

"Well? How is it?!"

Flick wasn't sure what to make of the enthusiastic brunette, who seemed to be the same age as her. The girl, Tsuruno Yui, had pretty much insisted Flick and Iroha try her restaurant's dish, saying something about Magical Girls getting a free meal. Flick and Iroha had been rushed into their seats and given bowls of ramen. Now that they had both taken a bite, the girl who had served them apparently wanted to know their thoughts.

"It's . . . good," Flick said. And it was. It just wasn't amazing was all. If anything, it was completely average.

"Yeah, it's really good," Iroha added.

"How does it score?" Tsuruno asked, gripping the chair across from them.

"It's really good," Iroha repeated, as if that would appease her.

"But how many points, hm?" Tsuruno was bouncing in place.

"I don't think putting a number on it would—" Iroha tried.

"What score would you give it?" Tsuruno urged, leaning forward.

Finally, Iroha gave a number. "Fifty?"

"Only fifty points?!" Tsuruno stumbled back into the counter. Flick heard a pot crash to the ground.

"I . . . would also give it a fifty." Flick admitted.

"Gah!" Tsuruno tried to stumble back farther, but since she was already against the counter, she ended up tripping over it, falling back and onto the other side.

"Oh no!" Iroha got up and rushed over to her. "Are you okay."

Tsuruno seemed fine when she stood up. "All good! A fall like that wouldn't stop someone as mighty as me!"

Iroha then rushed to explain their scoring. "I just meant, like it tasted normal! Like good! It's fine! Look at it this way, fifty points is half! Like a half full glass!"

"I don't think you're helping, Iroha," Flick said.

"Oh, it's no worry!" Tsuruno said. "Our dishes are known for averaging a score of about fifty."

"Wait, so I was right?" Iroha asked.

Flick coughed. "Anyway, about Iroha's sister . . ."

"Right," Tsuruno said. She took a seat across from Flick, and Iroha returned to her seat next to her. "I'm really sorry, but I don't know anything about her." She looked down. "After you came all this way . . . you must be worried sick. I hope you find her soon."

"It means a lot, Yui-San," Iroha said. "Thank you."

"Call me Tsuruno," she said.

"You sure it's okay?" Iroha asked.

"Yup! That's what I prefer! I guess I'm just a first name kind of girl." Tsuruno's statement was enough to make Iroha smile.

"What about rumors?" Flick asked. "Like the Friendship Ending Staircase. Do you know anything about those?"

"Well, I know someone who might be able to help," Tsuruno said. "Just don't get your hopes up, okay?"

"My expectations are properly set," Flick assured her.

"Right!" Tsuruno grabbed her cell phone and dialed a number. Flick wondered who she could be calling.

* * *

Yachiyo stared at the image of herself in the magazine. Once, the sight of her as a model being displayed for everyone had kept her transfixed her hours. Mifuyu had been forced to rip a magazine from her hand more than once.

She wondered why the image now gave her nothing more than a small tinge of satisfaction, like she would feel when making herself a nice meal. It wasn't that she hated modelling now, but there were times where she wondered if she should even bother, when she had her duties as a Magical Girl to worry about.

Sighing, Yachiyo put the magazine down. Now wasn't the time to dwell on the past. She still had to find Mifuyu. The one woman Yachiyo was too selfish to push away. Why she had disappeared, Yachiyo didn't know, but she would never give up on seeing Mifuyu again.

Or rather, she couldn't.

_Forgive my selfishness, Mifuyu. I have to find you and bring you home._

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone buzzing in her pocket. Pulling it out, she frowned at the display name. It was one she hadn't seen in ages.

"Why is Tsuruno calling me?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Master Yachiyooooo!"

Tsuruno sprinted right at the blue haired girl on the sidewalk, leaping into a hug. Yachiyo must have been used to this, since she braced herself in time. Even so, she winced at the impact.

"Ow!" Yachiyo stumbled back. "Tsuruno, don't jump on me like that! We both could have fallen!"

"I'm sorry!" Tsuruno said, continuing to hug Yachiyo. "I'm just so happy to see you again!"

This was . . . about the last thing Flick had expected. For one, she had no idea the person Tsuruno had called was Yachiyo. The two of them must have been friends, considering Tsuruno's reaction to seeing her. Yet for some reason, it seemed like they hadn't seen each other in a while. In fact, Yachiyo looked like she still didn't want to talk to Tsuruno. What was going on between them?

Flick thought of a comment made by Momoko. _"That sounds like Yachiyo, alright."_ When Flick had met her, Yachiyo seemed to be a loner Magical Girl. Was that not always the case? And if so, what had happened?

Yachiyo finally managed to pry Tsuruno off her. She sighed, then turned her attention to Flick and Iroha. "So these are the two you wanted me to help." She frowned, looking over Flick. "I thought I told you not to return to Kamihama."

"You did." Flick stepped forward. "Your words didn't pass over me, Nanami-san. I know the risks involved. I made my wish and came back to Kamihama by my own choice, and I'm prepared to face the consequences."

"Are you?" Yachiyo asked. She looked at Iroha. "Nevermind that. Why are you two together?"

"Oh!" Iroha jumped. "Um, Flick offered to help me."

"We both have reasons to look into the weird stuff happening in Kamihama," Flick said. "My situation is a bit more complicated, but believe me when I say I have plenty of reason to be here."

"Wait, you three know each other already?" Tsuruno asked. "How did that happen?"

"I met them both in a labyrinth," Flick said. "Yachiyo helped Iroha and I out of a tight spot. After that, they apparently worked together to stop the Friendship Ending Staircase."

"Master was there?!" Tsuruno's eyes widened. "Aw man, now I wish I was too!"

Yachiyo pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll be going." She turned in the other direction. "I don't have the time for this, and I'm not about to drag around girls weaker than me."

"Master, wait!" Tsuruno latched onto her arm. "Don't leave yet, pleeaaase!" The last plea was accompanied by Tsuruno leaning into Yachiyo with a teary expression.

Well, that was one way to get Yachiyo to reconsider. Flick added her own argument. "Aren't you looking into rumors? Tsuruno said you might know about them, and you were there for the Friendship Ending Staircase. You clearly have some interest in them."

"I don't see what that has to do with you," Yachiyo said. She left her arm hanging at her side, with Tsuruno still holding it.

"All of us have the same goal," Flick said. "We should work together."

Yachiyo immediately shot her down. "Like I said, you would just slow me down."

"Masteeeer," Tsuruno whined.

"I'm leaving." Yachiyo shook her arm free.

"Hold on," Flick said. "Iroha was with you at the Staircase. Didn't she prove herself then?"

"Her fighting was adequate," Yachiyo said. "Still, it wasn't great, and you're a new Magical Girl. If she wasted her energy helping you, you'll both be useless."

Wow, harsh. Flick didn't care much when someone underestimated her, but working separately over such a petty reason was dumb. Especially when Flick had helped kill _Walpurgisnacht_ in another universe.

"That's pretty arrogant, you assuming you're so much stronger," Flick found herself saying.

"It's the truth," Yachiyo said. "I've been a Magical Girl for seven years."

That made Flick pause for a moment. Seven years? Flick was surprised a Magical girl _could_ last that long. Especially since Yachiyo must have been many years younger than her when contracting.

_No wonder she handled that Witch so easily when we met._

Well, for as much experience as Yachiyo had, Flick held an equal amount of stubbornness. "Then you should understand that working together makes the most sense," she said. "Or are you saying you managed to survive because you were alone?"

Yachiyo's stoic mask cracked for a moment, as she flinched for a second before composing herself. Flick took the opportunity to press.

"No matter what happens, we'll be searching Kamihama. With or without you."

Something settled in Yachiyo's eyes as she glared at Flick. "No," she said. "You haven't shown me that you're capable of handling yourself in Kamihama. If necessary, I will drive you out of the city."

"What?!" Tsuruno yelped. Before Flink could blink, she was in front of Yachiyo. "Master, you can't be serious!"

"I'll be doing her a favor," Yachiyo said. "There are many Magical Girls who wouldn't stop at defeating her."

"But—"

"It's fine," Flick said. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them to stare down Yachiyo. "If that's what it takes, I'm willing to prove myself. Will you work with us then?"

"If you win," Yachiyo said. "Just know I won't hold back. I'll show you how outclassed you are in Kamihama."

 _I get the feeling most Magical Girls are outclassed by you, even in the city,_ Flick thought.

"You shouldn't fight each other, though!" Tsuruno whirled toward Flick. "Can't you fight a Witch together or something?"

Flick sent a smile her way. "Don't worry. It's not like we're fighting to the death. There won't be any hard feelings either. Right, Yachiyo?"

"Right," Yachiyo said. "We both have reason to fight. I won't hold Chambers' reasons against her."

"Um." Iroha raised her hand. "I don't know if this is a good idea, but my magic heals others, so I could, you know, help out if someone gets hurt."

"Really?" Flick asked. "That would be great. Thanks!" She faced Tsuruno. "See? We'll be fine."

"You and I have faced each other before, Tsuruno," Yachiyo said. "Think of this in the same way."

"Just like when we fought?" Tsuruno asked. She hummed, then pumped her fist. "Then we should go somewhere open for the fight!"

That . . . was a faster change in attitude than Flick had expected.

* * *

After a short time, they found an open field surrounded by trees. It was the best spot for them to fight without obstacles, but also without being seen.

Both Flick and Yachiyo were already transformed, facing each other from opposite sides of the clearing. Tsuruno and Iroha were off to the side, far enough to not get hurt while also close enough to intervene if necessary.

"This is your last chance to turn back!" Yachiyo called, hefting her spear. "Once the fight starts, I won't hold back!"

In response, Flick merely shook her head, drawing back her bowstring. Seeing that, Yachiyo nodded. Then, she moved.

Though there was distance between them, Yachiyo was closing it fast. Flick loosed an arrow, which the other girl swiftly dodged. Still, Flick didn't stop her assault. Arrow after arrow flew at Yachiyo, each of which she avoided. Some she ran past, other she changed direction to dodge.

It wasn't long before Yachiyo had reached Flick, and Flick was forced to parry a strike of her spear with the top half of her bow. In the same motion, she spun inward, thrusting the other end toward Yachiyo's chest.

Yachiyo leaned back, just enough to avoid getting grazed, then stabbed forward once more. Her movement was so swift that only hours of sparring with Avalon let Flick dodge in time. Even then, it was close.

Flick released another arrow, hoping to put distance between her and Yachiyo. Yachiyo, however, jumped _over_ it, now coming at Flick from above.

Their weapons clashed as Flick held her bow above her head, holding the entirety of Yachiyo's weight. They remained that way for a second, before Yachiyo jumped back. The moment she was on the ground, Yachiyo summoned at least a dozen spears which floated around her. Pushing her hand forward, she sent them all at Flick.

During her brief time as a Witch, Flick had fought using a bow. The instincts which remained after the fact were probably the only reason she was able to pull off her next move.

Pulling the bowstring as far back as she could, Flick summoned seven arrows. She arranged them perfectly, then let them fly, praying her aim wasn't off. Fortunately for her, each arrow struck its target, being the spears close to reaching her. All seven of the ones struck flew off course, with an eighth being close enough to get flung away due to the explosions caused by her arrows.

That still left half the spears, and at least one would stab into her even if she ran. With no other option, Flick held her ground.

It wasn't easy. Actually, it hurt like hell. When the first spear slammed into Flick's bow, her arms almost buckled under the force. She was given no time to recover before another spear was at her right side, making her move her bow to block that one as well. The third hit her, digging into her side and making her hiss in pain. Though the rest flew past her, Flick had quickly found herself overwhelmed.

Yachiyo wasn't giving her a break, either. She was right behind the spears, thrusting the one in her arms toward Flick. Flick rolled away, but not before taking a cut to her arm.

 _Damn it!_ Yachiyo wasn't even giving her time to think. Already she was coming at Flick again. Jumping away from her spear, Flick swung her bow at Yachiyo. Once again, Yachiyo moved out of the way and closed the distance.

This time, Flick was ready. Taking a note from her copy in the Mirror Labyrinth, she aimed an arrow at the ground between them. While Flick was prepared and able to jump away, Yachiyo was not. She got caught in the edge of the explosion, stumbling a bit. This left her unbalanced when the second arrow flew her way, and the spear she used to stop it went flying out of her hands.

For someone as experienced as Yachiyo, it would only take a second to recover and summon another spear. Still, that second was enough. Flick rushed in, stabbing her bow into Yachiyo's thigh.

A spear materialized in Yachiyo's hands, forcing Flick to back off. As Yachiyo lifted her spear, Flick pulled her bow back to shoot five arrows at her. Yachiyo summoned a staircase of spears to dodge, jumping from one to the other as she sent them to Flick, similar to how she attacked the Witch.

Rather than shoot the spears directed at her, Flick shot the ones in front of Yachiyo, making her slip when her foothold wasn't available. As she was falling, Flick struck home with an arrow, sending her flying.

The consequences were instantaneous, as multiple spears crashed into Flick. She was sent flying as well, though in her case with a few new holes in her body. She distantly felt her body land, but it was a minor feeling compared to the pain which flared. God, she wanted nothing more than to lie down in a ball for a few hours. That wouldn't get her any closer to finding the Magius, though. Keeping that thought in mind, she found the strength to stand.

"Flick!" Iroha called out. "You're hurt! Shouldn't you stop the fight?"

Flick shook her head, staring at Yachiyo. "I'm not done yet," she whispered. Once more, she pulled back on her bow.

If Yachiyo was bothered by the injuries she had given Flick, she didn't show it. She sprinted at her, preparing to knock her out.

Flick raised her bow into the air, firing an arrow directly above her. As Yachiyo closed the distance, Flick weaved away from the spear, dropping her bow and grasping Yachiyo's weapon with both hands. Yachiyo, entirely unprepared for this, didn't release the weapon before Flick spun her around, directly into the path of the now descending arrow.

It struck home. Yachiyo was blown back by the concussive force, a cry escaping her lips. Knowing her stamina was running low, Flick didn't chase after her. Instead, she summoned three arrows onto her bow, launching them at Yachiyo.

Flick had thought that since she was dazed, Yachiyo would be unable to get away. However, Yachiyo spun mindair, rolling once she hit the ground to get back onto her feet. That gave her enough time to get a spear in her hands and swing it upward, parrying the nearest arrow. Though she lost her spear in the process, she quickly made another one as she ran at Flick.

What followed was a series of strikes from Yachiyo, with Flick blocking as many as she could. She wanted to believe she put in a strong effort, but that didn't matter much when Yachiyo finally broke through, stabbing Flick's knee.

Flick fell to the ground in a heap, her bow vanishing into mist. She knew she was finished, a fact made clear by the tip of Yachiyo's spear hovering over her.

A warm sensation flooded Flick, and she looked to the side to see Iroha with her hands held over her. "Thank you," Flick mumbled as she felt her wounds close. Once Iroha was done with her, she went and gave Yachiyo the same treatment.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Flick began to pick herself off the ground. Yachiyo stretched out her hand, which Flick accepted with a quick thanks.

"I'll tell you about the Rumor I am looking into," Yachiyo said once Flick was standing.

Flick blinked. "But I lost."

There was a smirk on Yachiyo's face. "It was a close fight. You almost had me at the end. I'm convinced you can hold your own, Chambers-san."

Flick smiled. "You can call me Flick. Can I call you Yachiyo?"

"Call me what you want, but I'll stick with Chambers."

Well, it was better than nothing. It also reminded Flick of another girl, one she missed dearly.

"Then you'll help us, Master?!" Tsuruno's eyes lit up. "Wahoo!"

"Gah! Tsuruno, I told you not to jump on me like that!"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Brought music back for this chapter only. It's necessary.**

**Chapter 9**

" _Do you want to get back a past that you've lost? Memories you've forgotten? A person you've abandoned? If you want to get it back from the bottom of your heart, leave it to our God!"_

" _Write the name of the person you want to see on a votive plaque, pay a proper visit to the shrine, and you can meet that long-lost person."_

" _However, and it's a big one, beware! Rumor in the Mizuna area has it that those people are so happy that they never want to go home!"_

" _ **Stay here forever!"**_

* * *

"That's really a rumor going around?" Flick asked.

"Sounds similar to the Friendship Ending Staircase, doesn't it?" Yachiyo asked.

"Both involved people getting trapped inside a location," Flick agreed. "You're right, they're probably connected in some way. Which means we need to figure out which shrine is the Seance Shrine. That . . . will have to wait until tomorrow, I guess."

Flick said that because the sun was already beginning to set. Their battle earlier must have taken more time than Flick had thought, since the day was already almost over. All the nearby shrines would no doubt be closing soon.

 _A shrine that lets you reunite with someone you've lost,_ Flick thought. _Does that really exist? How much of the rumor is accurate? The Friendship Ending Staircase involved a myth that those trapped would have to clean a staircase forever, but that obviously wasn't the case. They were just stuck in the labyrinth until Iroha and the others rescued them all._

The only way to find out would be to pay the shrine a visit. Except they had no way of knowing which shrine was the Seance Shrine. A quick search on her phone showed that there were many shrines in the Mizuna Ward, and no one knew which one was the Seance Shrine.

Since she was distracted by the information on her screen, Flick didn't realize where they were going until they had stepped inside the building.

"A food market?" Flick asked. Cheery music was playing inside the store, and there were various posters marking—

"[Ten times the points](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyyzlBBkqWk) sale," Yachiyo murmured. Then, in a louder voice, "How could I forget?!"

"Yachiyo?" Iroha asked.

Yachiyo spun around. "All of you. I need your help."

"What is it, Master?" Tsuruno asked. "Is it something to do with the rumor?!"

Yachiyo shook her head. "No, this is far more urgent. Right now . . . is a limited time sale!"

"Bwuh?!" Tsuruno reared back.

"That, alongside ten times the points day being today, means there are multiple great deals happening at once," Yachiyo said. There was a gleam in her eyes. "We can't let this opportunity pass us by!"

Iroha frowned. "It's that important?"

"If you don't understand," Yachiyo said, "then that proves you're still a child."

"Oh . . ."

Both Iroha and Tsuruno seemed unsure how to proceed, but not Flick. Having memories of two lives was often weird, especially when her "current" life only came about because her wish rewrote her past. Her new memories didn't overwrite her old ones. In fact, she hardly ever realized they were there until she needed them. Whenever those memories were relevant, they would surface without any prompting from Flick.

Right now, she was remembering living in her apartment in Mitakihara. While her parents had given her more than enough money to feed herself, they didn't go overboard. And Flick had been a teenager eager to blow money on products she didn't really need. Any chance to save money was one to be taken, so that she had more to spend recklessly later.

That had included buying food when it was on sale. She had learned just how much could be saved. For someone in her current situation, with little money and wanting not to leech off of Mifuyu too much, this was a golden opportunity.

Flick stepped forward, locking her eyes onto Yachiyo's. "I'm with you," she said. "I can raid the fruits while you go for the pasta."

Yachiyo nodded. "I'm glad I have an ally in this. We'll meet up in ten minutes to organize our findings." She turned to Tsuruno. "Tsuruno, go with Flick, then split up when you reach the canned goods." Then, to Iroha. "Iroha, you're with me."

"Understood, Master!"

"I-I guess?"

"This way," Flick said, marching forward. "These sorts of sales never last long. The sooner we pay, the better."

And so, the group separated, embarking on their quest for non-perishable meals.

* * *

"I can't believe a Witch interrupted us . . ." Yachiyo almost seemed to be in shock. "And now the sale is over."

Flick patted her shoulder. "Ten times the points day still isn't over. We can buy some of what we collected, just less than before."

Still, even Flick had to marvel at how poor their luck was. Just as they were reconvening with their food, a Witch's barrier had appeared. The four of them had been forced to rush inside, and though the Witch was no challenge, the sale had ended while they were fighting. They had one extra grief seed which had been given to Iroha, but less food now.

"I guess this can happen when you only have a limited time," Iroha said.

Yachiyo froze, midway toward putting back a package of food which she now couldn't purchase. "Limited time," she muttered.

"Yachiyo?" Flick asked.

The food went forgotten as Yachiyo turned to face them. "I know where we can find the Seance Shrine."

All of their eyes widened. "Really?!" Tsuruno asked. "That's my master!"

"Where is it?" Flick asked.

"Mizuna Shrine," Yachiyo said. For some reason, the name was familiar to Flick. She realized why a moment later, and hurried to check her phone.

"That shrine's really close to here," Flick said, after confirming her thoughts. "Why didn't we check it out on the way?"

"Because I had already visited Mizuna Shrine earlier, and it didn't seem to be the right place. That's because I visited during the day, and not at night."

"The timing matters?" Iroha asked.

"There's a legend in the Mizuna Ward, which is cited in the Rumor Files. It goes like this . . ."

* * *

_Long, long ago, in an age when a great Lord ruled over the Mizuna area, a man from town and a lady who lived in Mizuna Castle fell in love despite their social ranks. The two shared a strong bond, but the woman was engaged, and her jealous fiance murdered the man._

_The woman was inconsolable. She wept every day, and every night she would go to a shrine and pray._

" _Please, God, let me meet him again," she pleaded._

_And after fifteen hundred nights of praying, her wish came true. She was now reunited with the man long dead. However, this miracle came at a cost._

* * *

"She died . . ." Flick said.

"Not quite," Yachiyo responded.

* * *

_In order to meet her beloved once more, the woman made a dire choice. She sacrificed the lives of everyone in the Castle Town as an offering to God. Remember, if you want a miracle, there is always a price to pay._

* * *

"That's . . ." Flick honestly didn't know what to say.

"How sad," Iroha whispered.

"It is a tragic tale," Yachiyo said, "but it holds the key to the Seance Shrine. The woman visited the shrine only at night, never during the day."

Flick's eyes widened in realization. "So to reach the Seance Shrine . . ."

"We have to go at night!" Tsuruno concluded. "Nice job, Master Yachiyo! You did it!"

"That means we're in the perfect position to go now," Flick said. "It will be fully dark by the time we reach the shrine. Are we all ready?" She received nods from the others. "Alright, then let's—" She was interrupted by her phone buzzing in her hands. The caller id showed that it was Mifuyu calling. "Sorry, can I take this real quick? It's my housemate."

Once she got acknowledgement, she stepped away from the group, letting them talk about the shrine while she answered the call. She was far enough away that she couldn't quite hear their conversation, though that also let her talk in private. "Hey, Mifuyu."

* * *

"Hello, Flick." Mifuyu leaned back in the soft chair Touka had included in her apartment. "I'll be ordering takeout soon. Should I save you a portion?"

" _Thanks, Mifuyu,"_ came Flick's voice from the other line. _"But I actually won't be back until late."_

"Got plans?" Mifuyu asked. She didn't know what Flick got up to when she wasn't hunting grief seeds, and while she didn't want to pry information from the other girl, there was a small chance that Flick could end up running into the Wings. Sure, the chance was highly unlikely, but—

" _Just checking out a shrine with some friends,"_ Flick said.

Mifuyu's blood ran cold.

"A shrine?" She tried her hardest to sound merely curious, but her heart was racing. As far as she knew, no shrines were open this time of night.

_Calm down, Mifuyu. Flick is a Magical Girl, it's not like she has to worry about getting in. Maybe she only wants to see what they look like at night. Besides, the Seance Shrine is far from the only shrine in Kamihama._

Still, she had to ask. "What shrine are you heading to?"

" _Mizuna Shrine. You know it?"_

. . . Well, Mifuyu wasn't one for cursing, but right now felt like an appropriate time to blurt one out.

"You could say that." Mifuyu was pretty sure her voice was losing its composure at this point. "Why there?"

" _It's sort of difficult to explain,"_ Flick said. _"But hey, are you okay? You don't sound well."_

Mifuyu was no longer sitting. She had started pacing up and down her apartment. "Just tired from a long day." Biting her tongue, Mifuyu scrambled for what she could say next. Did she try to steer Flick away from the shrine? Would that make Flick suspicious of her?

"You said you have friends with you?" Mifuyu asked in the end. "You haven't been in Kamihama for that long. I guess you're much more outgoing than me."

Flick let out a nervous laugh. _"I wouldn't say that. We share some similar interests, is all."_

 _Magical Girl interests?_ Mifuyu wanted to ask. That would take the conversation down a treacherous path though, one which might lead to her secrets being revealed.

There was the possibility that Flick was trying to hide something from her, but from what little Mifuyu had gauged of the other girl, she likely just didn't want to reveal the people with her were Magical Girls without their permission. After how quickly she had brought up the truth relating to Magical Girls and Witches, Mifuyu had deduced Flick was not a fan of secrets.

Which only made keeping her own secrets from the younger girl that much more difficult.

"Well, be home soon," Mifuyu said. "Chances are I'll still be awake, I have to do work for my class tonight."

" _Good luck,"_ Flick said. _"See you soon."_ With that, she hung up. What followed was a moment of stillness, Mifuyu standing there with her phone resting in her hand.

 _Deep breaths, Mifuyu._ She followed her own advice, then considered her next course of action.

Were Flick's new friends really Magical Girls? The chance seemed too great to ignore. More than that, Mifuyu knew one Magical Girl in particular who was looking into Rumors.

 _I can't jump to conclusions, but if Yachan is there . . ._ Well, wasn't this what Mifuyu wanted? For Yachiyo to write her name down and stay with a copy of her in the shrine? If other Magical Girls were there as well, then they could stay in the shrine until liberation came, and Mifuyu destroyed the Uwasa herself.

But Flick would be a part of that group. Sure, they had both been frequently out of the apartment these past few days, but Mifuyu still appreciated the other girl's presence. Knowing that someone else was living in the same space as her was . . . nostalgic.

Honestly, Mifuyu wished for Flick to join the Wings of the Magius, same as how she had been hoping for Yachiyo to join before realizing that wouldn't happen. Surely if Mifuyu explained everything to her, then Flick would understand their cause, right?

_Flick will be safe in the shrine, like Yachan. Maybe she'll even be happy, with a copy of whichever person she longs to see._

The thought didn't comfort Mifuyu. In fact, it only worried her more.

 _I should go,_ she decided. _I'll follow them in from behind, and make sure the shrine works. The Feather stationed there was told to let people into the shrine, but to make sure they don't destroy the Rumor. I'll check on her, and she can tell me who showed up. From there, I'll decide what to do._

If only she had any clue as to what decision she would make.

* * *

Meanwhile, a lone girl wrote a single name down on a plaque.

" _Asenath Akharu."_

The girl took a deep breath, then set the plaque down. She knew this was going against the rules given to her by the Magius, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered more than the reunion which was about to take place. Lowering her black hood but still wearing the cloak and pendant of the Wings, she prepared for what would come next.

 _Please,_ Rethma thought, _let me see my sister again._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: In case you missed it, Chapter 9 was posted last night. Be sure to read that one before starting this chapter.**

**Chapter 10**

The four girls walked into the Shrine, transforming into their Magical Girl attire as they did so. For Tsuruno, that was an orange top and skirt, with her weapons being fans of the same color. The fans didn't seem intimidating upon first glance, but while fighting the Witch earlier, Flick had seen Tsuruno shoot _fire_ from them. Standard Magical Girl bullshit.

Before they could get far in, a bundle of white fur rushed toward them, leaping into Iroha's arms.

"The small Kyubey from the shrine?" Flick asked. "What is it doing here?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Iroha admitted, letting the Kyubey rest on her shoulder. "It was there when we fought the Friendship Ending Staircase, as well."

"That's . . . weird," Flick said. "Maybe it can only move around near large sources of energy?"

In response, Iroha merely shrugged. Deciding that talking about the abnormal Kyubey would get them nowhere, they moved further into the shrine.

The shrine itself was filled with wooden shelves, which had plaques hanging from them, containing various names. Flick wondered where they would get plaques for themselves, until four fell out of the sky and landed on the stone in front of them.

"Well, that's convenient," Flick muttered as Yachiyo picked up three of the plaques.

"Someone should stay out here, just in case," Yachiyo said. "Tsuruno, you're surely thinking of writing down the same name as me."

_The same name? Who is she referring to?_ Flick would likely find out once they went inside. More importantly, it was time for her to write down a name.

She was so tempted to write down Avalon's name, or someone from her family. But considering this was a different universe, any version of them which the Seance Shrine could summon surely wouldn't be _her_ version. Instead, she wrote a name not connected to her universe.

" _Law of Cycles."_

Would this actually work? Would a boost of magic finally help Madoka contact Flick? She hoped so.

Once Iroha, Yachiyo, and Flick finished writing down the names, Familiars dropped down. They were insect looking creatures, composed of a red circle for a head, a yellow circle for a body, and two large, blocky wings. They picked up not only their plaques, but all the plaques in the area, then proceeded to fly off with them.

"Now we offer a prayer," Yachiyo said, and they walked further in.

"Wait," Flick said, making them all freeze before they can get too far. "Look."

A black fog had begun to swirl around the shrine, around all of them. It seemed to be centered on Tsuruno.

"I don't think you'll be allowed any further," Flick said. "In fact, I think something will attack you if you try."

"Wow, good call, Flick!" Tsuruno said. "Alright, I'll stay behind. Don't worry about me. Take care of Master!"

Flick nodded, then turned away, the three of them continuing their march forward. Had they looked more closely at each others' faces, they would have realized they were each marked with an orange stamp.

They reached a large bell, which Yachiyo rang. After that, they all bowed their heads in prayer, closing their eyes.

_Please, Madoka,_ Flick thought. _If you can hear me, I really want to talk to you again._

Straightening, Flick opened her eyes. What she saw was anything but normal.

The sky was orange, cast in an eternal sunset. Any clouds which covered it seemed to shimmer as though unstable. As for the shrine, it had been drastically changed. It was now a series of bridges connected to one another, going on for multiple levels. Arches hung over each intersection of bridges, the only sign that this was still a shrine.

More important was the figure in front of Flick. It was one she recognized.

"Madoka!" Flick ran up to the goddess. "Is it really you?"

Madoka smiled. "It is. I'm sorry, Flick. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to contact you with Eve's interference."

"You can't get past her?" Flick frowned. "Then how did you send me straight to Kamihama? You wanted me to be near Iroha, right? But she was in Kamihama at the time."

Madoka blinked. "I suppose I got lucky."

That . . . didn't sound right. Still, something in the back of Flick's mind whispered for her to let it go.

"I have so many questions for you," Flick said. "These Rumors, are they the Magius' doing?"

"What do you think?" Madoka asked.

"I . . ." Even as a goddess, Madoka didn't seem like one for puzzles. "It has to be, right? Unless you've seen them in other timelines."

"I haven't," Madoka said. All the while, she stayed standing, her arms at her side. She had been in that position ever since Flick had arrived, hardly moving.

"Are you okay?" Flick asked. "Is Eve still affecting you here?"

"A bit," Madoka said. "Sorry, it's pretty distracting."

Flick waved her hand. "It's fine." Was it? "Anyway, what do I do now? I'm staying with another Magical Girl, Mifuyu Azusa. Was that the right call?"

"Hmmmm," Madoka seemed to honestly ponder that question. "Let's talk about that more further in the shrine. Sound good?"

"Further in?" Something was seriously wrong. So why didn't Flick care to think it over more?

"I was thinking," Madoka said, "I didn't tell you enough before, did I? You're sort of blind, here."

"You told me enough about the Magius and Eve," Flick said. Why was Madoka bringing this up now? "Honestly, having to lie about that is painful enough. I'm glad I don't have to hide from everyone that I already know about them. That was what got Homura into so much trouble, remember?"

"I suppose," Madoka said. Finally, she moved, turning to walk further into the shrine. "Still, the Magius won't be an easy enemy to face. There's plenty more I can tell you so that you're prepared." She began walking.

"I guess . . ." Flick stepped forward, her footsteps matching Madoka's.

Wait.

Why was Madoka _walking_? She was a goddess, for crying out loud! She had been floating when Flick had met her.

Actually, looking closer at Madoka, that godly aura that had surrounded her seemed diminished. There wasn't a shine to her entire being, like there had been before. Then, Flick took a real look at the supposed goddess' face.

Her once golden eyes were pitch black.

Flick summoned her bow, jumping away and aiming a shot at the being in front of her. "What are you?" she demanded.

"Madoka" frowned. "Darn, you figured it out."

"You're not Madoka," Flick said. "You're a part of this Rumor, aren't you?"

"I am. You can call me an Uwasa, though I'm not the main Uwasa running this place."

"An Uwasa?" Flick echoed.

"It is the job of Uwasa to make sure that nothing and no one goes against the Rumor," the Uwasa said. "It really isn't good that you found out. Now I'll have to knock you out to get you to stay!" A pink bow appeared in her hands, which she nocked an arrow on.

"That's not going to happen," Flick said. She pulled farther on her bow string, summoning even more arrows. "You might look like Madoka, but you're not nearly as strong as her.

"You think so?" the Uwasa said. "Let's find out."

Both of them fired simultaneously. As Flick's many arrows soared through the air, Madoka's single arrow split into multiple, meeting each of hers. They all collided, resulting in a set of explosions midair.

They had barely vanished when Flick rushed forward, hoping to plunge her bow into the Uwasa and end the fight. The Uwasa, however, darted to the side, firing another arrow in Flick's direction.

Flick sped up, sprinting past the arrow. When the Uwasa tried to hit her with another arrow, she ran past that one as well. This led to her running past a series of arrows, shot one after another, before she finally spun around and fired an arrow of her own. Rather than aim for the Uwasa, she aimed for the bridge by its feet. The _wooden bridge_.

A flame burst from her arrow, which quickly overtook the bridge and the surrounding area. The Uwasa screamed as the flames reached her dress.

In that moment of distraction, Flick was able to fire another arrow, this one hitting the Uwasa dead on. It yelped, flying off its feet. The next arrow detonated next to her, engulfing more of the bridge, and the Uwasa itself, in flames.

With a final shriek, the Uwasa faded into black smoke—with an almost runic pattern to it—before even that vanished entirely. Meanwhile, the fire slowly spread across the bridge.

_I better get off,_ Flick thought. First, though, she cut the edges of the flaming boards with her bow, separating them from the rest of the bridge. They fell below, passing multiple layers before landing. That would hopefully keep the entire shrine from going up in flames.

With that out of the way, Flick ran off the bridge and onto a wooden platform. From there, she got a good look at the other bridges. She was also in the prime position to hear a nearby shout.

"ASENATH, PLEASE!"

Flick whirled in that direction, and she was able to vaguely make out a girl in a black coat. There was another girl with her, but Flick couldn't make out any details from so far away.

Another girl was in the Seance Shrine. From the sound of it, she would soon fall for its trap and remain there forever. Flick had to prevent that.

Before taking off, she scanned the area for Iroha and Yachiyo. She found them, but what she saw made no sense.

Iroha and Yachiyo were in the opposite direction of the unknown girl, Iroha running toward Yachiyo. As for Yachiyo, she was on her knees, her gaze locked onto the Uwasa which took the shape of the person whose name she had written down. The appearance of the Uwasa itself made Flick's eyes widen.

It was Mifuyu.

Dozens of questions swam through Flick's head. Why was Mifuyu here? Was that really an Uwasa? Did that mean Yachiyo wrote Mifuyu's name down? So she and Tsuruno were both looking for Mifuyu? Why? What was going on?

Flick shook those questions away. There would be time later to talk to Yachiyo and figure out why the hell she had written down the name of the woman Flick was living with. For now, Iroha had reached Yachiyo, and was about to confront the Uwasa. The two of them together would be able to handle it. The other girl was in greater danger at the moment. Making her decision, Flick sprinted her way. As she did so, she could make out what the girl and Uwasa were saying easier.

"Don't you want to stay here, little Reathma? Nothing can separate us as long as we're in the shrine."

"We have to find Mom and Dad. Come on, Senny! We need to be a family again!"

"Mom and Dad are gone!" The voice clearly belonged to an Uwasa. She looked to be a Chinese woman in her early twenties. "But I'm still here. Isn't that enough?!"

Flick was finally able to get a close look at the other girl. She was also Chinese, though she looked like she was Flick's age. She wore a black cloak which covered her entire body, the hood of which had been lowered to expose her face.

The cloak itself was odd, with a red interior and golden cuff. That cuff was matched by the gold pendant the girl wore, which sort of looked like a spire with wings. Flick was pretty sure there was also a gold wing pattern on the hood, but it was hard to tell from behind and with the hood down.

There were tears streaming down the girl's face. "Mom and Dad aren't gone! My wish led me to you, which means it will lead me to them too. It has to!"

The Uwasa put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Reathma, I understand how you feel. But can't you consider my feelings? I haven't seen you in so long . . . you know I had to wait all these years? I didn't get to jump forward like you."

"I . . ." The girl looked down. She squeaked when the Uwasa pulled her into a full embrace.

"Can't we stay for just a little while? I want to get to know my sister all over again."

"You already know everything about me," the girl muttered into her "sister's" clothes, as her head was buried in them. She returned the embrace. "But I guess we catch up before talking. I've missed you, Senny."

They separated, and the Uwasa smiled down at the girl. "I know, little Wreath. Come on, let's head further into the shrine."

"Okay . . ." The girl's voice had lost its energy, and she robotically began to follow the Uwasa.

All the while, her face was covered in orange stamps.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: My beta reader, LazyKatie, has begun writing a Magia Record fic. It's YachiMifu centered, taking place in the Wraith timeline. I'm beta reading for her, and I'm quite excited to see where the fic goes. Check it out[here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24994261/chapters/60516958)** **. It's called Fear and Loathing.**

**Chapter 11**

For the dozenth time, Mifuyu considered turning back. She was putting herself at major risk by heading straight for the Seance Shrine. How would she explain her presence if she ran into Yachiyo? What would she say to Flick after pulling her out of the shrine?

That was another matter. Sometime while she was running, she had stopped wondering whether or not she should save Flick from the Rumor, and started wondering what to do after saving her.

_I'll have to explain everything. If I could just get her to join the Wings of the Magius . . ._

Mifuyu would figure out the details later. For now, she was finally about to reach the shrine. The sight of people in front of the entrance almost made her freeze up, before her reflexes kicked in and she ducked behind a tree.

Poking her head out from her cover, Mifuyu failed to recognize any of the girls. There were four of them. A blonde with her hair in ringlets, a short girl with pink hair, a black haired girl with her hair in braids, and another black haired girl, but with shorter hair than anyone else in the group.

Wait, Mifuyu did recognize one of them. The blonde girl was Mami Tomoe, a renowned veteran Magical Girl from Mitakihara. Though she wasn't transformed, her appearance was distinct enough that Mifuyu could tell it was her. What was she doing in Kamihama, and why had she brought other girls with her?

Deciding she wouldn't get answers by hiding, and seeing that she didn't risk running into anyone who recognized her, Mifuyu left her cover and stepped forward.

Immediately, the girls reacted. Each spun around and assessed her, with Tomoe and the black haired girls tensing up. The pink haired girl, on the other hand, looked more curious than threatened.

"Who are you?" Mami Tomoe asked with a frown.

"My name is Mifuyu Azusa," Mifuyu said. "I'm a Magical Girl." Following her statement, their eyes widened except for Tomoe's.

"I see," Tomoe said. "Then are you also tracing the malevolent magic in this area?"

Mifuyu considered lying and saying yes. However, if these girls ended up entering the shrine themselves, Mifuyu would never be able to get Flick out without attracting attention. To that end, she had to convince them to leave the Rumor alone.

"Not exactly," Mifuyu said. "But first, why are you here? You're a veteran, aren't you? Surely you know the rules about crossing into another Magical Girl's territory."

Tomoe continued to frown. "All of the Witches in surrounding areas have been drawn to Kamihama. There's a rumor going around that a Kamihama Magical Girl is gathering Witches and using them for their own ends. Would you know anything about that?"

"I know that Kamihama is extremely dangerous at the moment," Mifuyu said, eyeing the younger Magical Girls, "and not the sort of place you bring less experienced Magical Girls into."

"They insisted that they accompany me," Tomoe said. "Regardless, strange occurrences are taking place in this city, and Magical Girls from nearby territories are wondering what is happening. Not even Kyubey is aware."

"So you came here for answers." Mifuyu sighed. "Well, you won't find them here."

Tomoe's eyes narrowed. "How are you so sure?"

"I've been in barriers such as the one surrounding this shrine," Mifuyu said. "The creatures inside are similar to Witches, but they do not drop grief seeds. Girls from Kamihama are handling them. There's nothing for you here."

Mifuyu had to wonder when she had gotten so used to careful wordplay and persuasion. Probably around the same time the Magius had made her their main recruiter.

For the first time, one of the other girls spoke up. It was the pink haired girl. "But people might be in danger! We should stop whatever is inside that barrier."

"Let the Magical Girls of Kamihama handle it," Mifuyu said. "Please."

Again, a different girl spoke, this time being the girl with short, black hair. "What about the rumors surrounding Kamihama itself?" she asked, stepping forward. "About Magical Girls being liberated here?"

Oh. So that's what this was about. Well, from the way Tomoe looked at the girl, each of them had a different motive for being here. Even so, an idea formed in Mifuyu's head.

"How about this?" she said. "Meet me at the Coordinator's at sunset tomorrow. I'll tell you four everything I know then. In exchange, I simply want you to leave this barrier alone."

"The Coordinators'?" the pink haired girl asked.

Mifuyu explained who Mitama was and where her shop was located to them. What followed was a minute of silence, before Tomoe finally spoke up.

"Very well," she said. "I hope you will be more forthcoming with answers tomorrow."

With that, the four girls began to leave. Before they did so, the girl with braids turned around, her eyes examining Mifuyu behind the red-rimmed glasses. Though she had been silent the entire time, she seemed to have plenty of thoughts on the situation. Still, after many seconds of staring at Mifuyu, she turned and hurried to catch up with her friends.

_What was that about? Wait, no, I can't be pondering that right now. I have to find Flick._

Those girls were certainly potential candidates for the Wings of the Magius, though. Mifuyu hoped she would be successful in recruiting them tomorrow.

Once they were out of eyesight, Mifuyu entered the shrine herself. When a plaque dropped, she wrote her own name on it. That was the safest way to make sure you wouldn't be trapped within the Rumor. After all, it would be hard for her own clone to convince her to stay. Actually, Mifuyu would destroy it before it could even speak. The weaker Uwasa hardly had the strength or endurance of a Magical Girl, even one whose power was weakening like Mifuyu.

An Uwasa floated down and took the plaque. As Mifuyu closed her eyes to pray to the Seance Shrine's god, she took a deep breath.

_Please, let me help Flick without anything going wrong._

* * *

It was safe to say that things were going wrong.

"Hey!" Flick yelled, putting a hand on the Asian girl's shoulder. "Snap out of it! The Rumor is drawing you in!"

The girl scowled. "Who are you?"

"My name is Flick Chambers," Flick said. "I'm a Magical Girl, like you."

"A Magical Girl," the girl muttered. "I was supposed to let Magical Girls into the Seance Shrine, but protect the Rumor." The girl shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I finally found my sister."

"That," Flick said, pointing at the Uwasa, "is not your sister. It's an Uwasa. And wait, what did you mean by 'protect the Rumor?' Are you with the Wings of the Magius?"

Rather than answer, the girl pushed Flick's hand off her shoulder. "Can you get out of the way? I want to be with Asenath."

"Who is this girl, Reathma?" the Uwasa asked.

The girl—Reathma, Flick supposed—hurried to the Uwasa's side. "I don't know," she said. "Ignore her. Weren't we going to talk?"

The Uwasa gave her a warm smile. "Of course. Let's go."

"No!" Flick blurted. She ran forward, yanking Reathma away from the Uwasa. Considering how sudden the action was, she probably should have expected her to respond by punching her nose as hard as she could.

Flick stumbled back, pain flaring across her face. "Ow, okay," she said. "Not my best idea."

Meanwhile, Reathma had gotten close to her face. "Leave us alone!" she shouted. "Why are you trying to keep me away from Asenath?!" The rage was clear on her face, though it was far less concerning than the orange stamps which still covered it.

"I'm trying to help you!" Flick said. When Reathma tried hitting her again, Flick grabbed her wrists. "Listen! You're falling for an illusion!"

Reathma snapped her head back and forth. "You're wrong! It's Asenath! I've been looking for her for so long!"

"And why would she be here?!" Flick forced the girl to look into her eyes. "Listen to me, do you know what this place is?"

"I-it's a Rumor," Reathma stammered. "Made by the Magius for liberation. Wait, for liberation? That's . . ."

"Think," Flick said. "This place was made to trap people, wasn't it?"

"To trap people . . ." Reathma muttered. Some of the stamps began to fade from her face.

"Wreath, what's going on?" the Uwasa asked. "Don't you believe it's me? Remember when I shared my Christmas present with you when you were 8? Or when we got lost in the woods together and I was the first one to start crying? We're sisters, Wreath."

"Sisters . . ." Reathma pulled her wrists out of Flick's grasp. "Yes, we are." She glared at Flick. "Are you trying to trick me?"

Before Flick could respond, the Uwasa spoke up again. "Wait, Reathma! Be careful! I think that girl is a Familiar!"

_What?_

"She's trying to draw you away," the Uwasa said. "She's covering her curses by coming after you inside the Rumor. She wants to keep you away from me!"

"What kind of accusation is that?!" Flick demanded. She pointed her bow at the Uwasa. "I'm done letting this Rumor pull people in!"

There was a flash of movement in the corner of her eyes, and Flick ducked out of the way just in time to avoid chains which had been rushing toward her, with claw shaped blades at the end. She turned, seeing the chains retract to the contraption on Reathma's wrists.

"Don't you dare hurt my sister!" Reathma yelled, eyes burning with rage.

"I'm not—" Flick began.

"Shut up!" Those blades were pointed Flick's way. "I'm done listening to you! I can't be alone! Not again!"

Following that statement, Reathma rushed forward, and Flick was forced to back up so she wouldn't get skewered.

 _Dammit, I don't want to fight her!_ Flick wished the other girl felt the same way. She was already sending those chains at Flick again. Flick diverted them with a single concussive arrow.

_Come on, Flick, there has to be a way to convince her._

Well, there was one, but Flick didn't want to do _that_ in front of the poor girl. Although, seeing as the girl was once again coming at her, she might not have a choice short of wasting magic to knock her out.

 _Guess I'm doing this,_ Flick thought, turning her sights on the Uwasa with the face of Reathma's sister.

* * *

Reathma wasn't all that aware of the fight taking place. Her focus was only on _removing_ the threat between her and sister. The thought of potentially losing Asenath again drove her onward, as she blindly slashed at the girl with the signature weapon of the Black Feathers.

Perhaps she should have switched to her proper Magical Girl attire and weapons, so that she could be fighting at her best, but she was far from the right mindset to even consider that.

Their exchange could hardly be called a fight. Reathma kept rushing at the girl, who continued to dodge rather than fight back. What was with her?!

Not that it mattered. Reathma would do _anything_ to keep Asenath safe. No one would get between the two of them again. And after they caught up with one another, they would find their parents. If Reathma had found her sister, then her parents had to be out there as well! They would reunite, and be a complete family once again. No more suffering from loneliness. No more nights spend reliving the loss through nightmares. This was finally it! Once this girl was gone, Reathma would—

Too late, Reathma realized her constant lunges had put the girl right next to her sister. Finally, she readied an attack, but it wasn't aimed at Reathma. Instead, she plunged her bow right into her sister's back.

Reathma shrieked, images of _that night_ flashing through her mind. She fell to her knees, sobbing as her sister's life faded away.

_I fought so hard to see you again! Why did this have to happen?!_

It was then that her sister began fading into black smoke.

"What?" Reathma whispered.

The girl she had been attacking looked her way, then winced. After dismissing her weapon, she crouched in front of Reathma.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you, and this was the only way for you to see that it was an Uwasa. Are you—you know that wasn't your sister now, right?"

The fog that had been covering her mind began to clear. Right, the Rumor she had been assigned to trapped people by presenting them with a copy of the person they wanted to see the most. Reathma had known that, but she had written down her sister's name regardless. It had seemed so obvious, that her wish would bring her to a time when the Magius were around, and then they would create a Rumor where you could see the person you wanted to see the most. Maybe with her wish, she would have been able to see the real thing, and not a copy.

At least, that had been Reathma's thought at the time. She had been so confident in her love for her sister, that she'd believed she would immediately be able to spot a fake. Shame boiled in her gut.

Wait, what if her wish _had_ led her to the Shrine. She had asked to see her family again, so was it only providing her with copies? Oh, God, was it truly impossible for her to reunite with the real versions?! If that was the case, then she was . . . she was . . .

Alone.

Her breath had vanished, and her vision was covered in black spots. No, no, no! That couldn't be the case! There had to be a way! She couldn't—

A metallic object was pressed against her soul gem, bringing Reathma out of her stupor. She shook her head to clear her vision, then saw that the blonde girl had used a grief seed on her.

"Why?" Reathma asked.

"You were in danger," Flick said, "and it was partly my fault. I'm sorry."

Reathma looked away. "It's not your fault," she mumbled. "I was the one who fell for the Uwasa's trick."

Again, the girl put a hand on Reathma's shoulder, though this time it was in comfort. "Hey, it's okay," she said. "This place was meant to trap people. That's why I'm going to destroy it."

"I should probably stop you from doing that," Reathma blurted out without thinking. "But I don't think I can bring myself to after what happened."

"About that," the blonde girl said. "Are you with the Wings of the Magius?"

_. . . I said that outloud, didn't I?_

"Yes, you did."

"Oh," Reathma said.

_Well shit._


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Flick had to admit, she was starting to feel bad for her question. Reathma was trying to make herself look as small as possible, stammering out senseless words in an attempt to deflect, only to stop and suddenly change direction. It was clear that she was one wrong move away from bolting. As much as Flick needed answers, she didn't want to terrify the poor girl.

Before she could find the words to calm Reathma, the ground began to shake around them.

"What?" Reathma unsteadily rose to her feet. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Flick murmured. "But I doubt it's anything good." She peered over the edge, only to see massive bubbles flying her way.

Leaping back, Flick barely managed to avoid getting caught in the blast when the bubbles exploded. The bridge they were standing on, however, was not as fortunate. It burst into pieces, falling down toward the layers below. Caught unprepared, Flick and Reathma both tumbled through the air, straight toward a lower bridge.

Flick spun to reorient herself as best she could, but the ground was swiftly approaching, and the best she could do was land on her hands and knees. Her wrist snapped to the side, pain flaring throughout her whole arm. Flick bit her tongue to keep herself from crying out.

Reathma landed in a similar position, but she was able to avoid twisting anything. She rose to her feet, head darting from one angle to another.

"Over there!" she shouted. Flick looked that way, getting her first real look at a Rumor.

All things considered, Uwasa didn't look all that different from Witches. This one had a massive snake-like body, ending with an elephant-like head and two small arms. The creature's glowing eyes were shaped like footprints, and a black haze swirled in the top of the Uwasa's bright yellow head.

Once more, Flick summoned her bow, holding it in her working hand. She used it to prop herself to her feet, tensing in preparation for another attack. However, the Uwasa wasn't even looking at her. Instead, its focus was on another group of girls.

"Iroha!" Flick started running that way, just as the Uwasa launched another explosive bubble at them. They leaped in separate directions, each counter attacking the Uwasa. Tsuruno was a part of the group now, likely having realized the danger and followed them in. She launched flames from her fans, while Iroha shot arrows and Yachiyo threw spears. The attacks engulfed the Uwasa, covering the area in smoke.

_Did they get it?_

Not at all. The smoke cleared, and the Uwasa looked unharmed. Tsuruno and Iroha paused in shock, but Yachiyo wasn't ready to give up. She leaped through the air, cutting a hole in the Uwasa. Flick almost cheered, except the hole regenerated before Yachiyo had even touched the ground.

"Everyone!" Flick called out. "Over here!"

"Flick!" Iroha ran her way. "Are you okay?"

"My wrist is killing me," Flick admitted, "but other than that I'm fine."

"Oh!" Iroha held the broken hand. "I can fix that." Light poured out of Iroha's hands and into Flick's, and relief washed over her as the pain vanished.

"You have healing magic?" Flick asked.

Iroha's hands shook. "Y-yeah."

"Iroha?" Flick looked over her for any sign of injury. "Are you o—" She paused, spotting the problem. Then, she pulled out a grief seed. "Use this."

"Huh?" Iroha asked. "Isn't that yours?"

"You need it more," Flick said, shoving the grief seed into Iroha's hand. "Use it."

Iroha looked ready to protest, but Flick's glare stopped her in her tracks. She lowered the grief seed, pressing it against her soul gem. Flick sighed with relief as the fog cleared away.

"How is your own soul gem?" Yachiyo asked, backing up. She was still sending a barrage of spears at the Uwasa, keeping it busy while they regrouped. "You wrote down a name as well."

Flick pulled her hair clip out, staring at the soul gem attached. There were a few dark spots, but she was far from being in danger. She stuck the pin back in her hair.

"I'm fine," Flick said, "but we have to deal with the Uwasa."

"We have a problem!" Tsuruno jumped away from her engagement with the Uwasa, joining the rest of them. She lifted her fans, which were covered in slime. "I can't use my flames. Wait, who's she?" She pointed at Reathma, who was shuffling on her feet a few meters apart from the group.

"Later!" Yachiyo snapped. "We have to move!"

The Uwasa had finally gotten past her stalling. Its tail fell, ready to crush them. Heeding Yachiyo's warning, they jumped off the bridge, landing another layer down.

"We're going to run out of space at this rate!" Flick yelled. "We have to take it down here!"

"Right!" Iroha fired more arrows at the Uwasa, aiming for its eyes. The arrows hit their mark, but the Uwasa hardly seemed to notice, skittering toward them.

"Get back!" Flick called. She pulled her bow back as far as it would let her, launching seven arrows all at the center of the Uwasa's face. The following explosion was large enough that she had to cover her eyes.

When the smoke cleared, there was a large hole in the Uwasa's head that was already regenerating. Seeing that, Iroha aimed her shots for the center of the wound.

It wasn't enough. The Uwasa climbed below the bridge, sending bubbles from its tail as it fled. They were all forced to jump back at the edge of the bridge. Worse, when the Uwasa reappeared, it was mostly finished regenerating.

"This isn't working," Flick said.

"Don't give up yet!" Yachiyo rushed forward, thrusting her spear at the Uwasa. The spear cut through, but the bubble that followed blew her back to land painfully on the bridge and skid across the wood.

"Damn it," Reathma said from beside Flick. She lifted up her claws. "I can't do anything with these!"

With a flash, Reathma transformed, the cloak vanishing. What followed was her true Magical Girl outfit.

Reathma's dress looked like it would be right at home in the 19th century. It was green with white frills at the end, and reached her ankles. The sleeves covered her arms, while her hands were covered by white gloves. Under the dress, Flick could see she wore white stockings and green heels. Finally, she had a lace headband in her hair, and a silver necklace with a green gem in the center.

In Reathma's hands were two frisbee-like discs. She hurled one forward, burying it into the side of the bridge. As the Uwasa charged forward to attack them, she pressed down on the disc still in her hand. Both discs glowed, and a line of electricity appeared between them. The Uwasa screeched as it got shocked.

Flick took the opportunity, firing off more arrows while the Uwasa was stunned. She wasn't the only one, as Iroha and Yachiyo hit it with their own attacks. Tsuruno . . . was still trying to shake the gunk out of her fans.

The Uwasa reared back, finally starting to look like it was in pain. Still, that didn't stop it from sending far more bubbles at them than it had before. There were so many that dodging would be impossible. Given no other option, Flick held her bow in front of her face and braced herself.

A bubble detonated in her face, sending her tumbling through the air. Her vision was filled with black spots as she crashed into the bridge's railing. It creaked under her weight, feeling like it would snap off at any moment. Flick pushed herself off of it before that could happen.

Looking around as her vision cleared, Flick could tell they were running out of steam. Reathma was leaning against the rail, gasping for breath. Iroha's legs were unsteady as she picked herself off the ground. Tsuruno still didn't have weapons. Yachiyo was the only one of the group who seemed intact, but even she had a noticeable fatigue to her movements.

"Anyone else have any ideas?" Flick asked, barely having the strength to make her voice heard. All she received in response was shaking heads. "Great."

With a roar, the Uwasa slammed its tail down. Flick's heart stopped when she realized it was going to slam into Reathma, and she wouldn't have the time to save her.

_No! I have to try!_ Flick reached out with her magic, which gave her full awareness of the space around her. She could feel the tail descending for Reathma, who could only prepare to be crushed.

Wait. There was something else. Just as Reathma was about to be hit, Flick felt a line between her and the girl. Instinctively, she pulled on it.

Then, she was in a different spot. More specifically, she was in the same place as Reathma had just been, while Reathma was in her previous location.

Flick had half a second to realize this before the tail struck. She ducked down, thrusting her bow skyward to slow it down. Still, that didn't stop it from crashing into her and sending her flying.

"Flick!" Iroha shouted.

"I'm okay," Flick groaned, picking herself off the ground. "I can still fight."

"You took the hit for me." Reathma said. "Why?"

Flick shrugged. "I wasn't really thinking when I did it, but I don't regret my choice."

"What do we do now?" Tsuruno asked. "We're barely hurting this thing!"

It was then that a voice rang out.

" **Paranoia Assault."**

The owner of the voice leaped down from the bridge above, her chakram spinning in the air. It collided with the Uwasa, seemingly having no effect. However, the Uwasa began to spin around wildly, swinging its tail at nothing.

"Mifuyu!" Flick ran to the girl's side. "What are you doing here?"

Mifuyu winced. "It's complicated. Can we talk about it later?"

Flick frowned.

"Mifuyu!" Yachiyo took Mifuyu's hands. "Is it really you this time? You're not part of the Rumor?"

This time, Flick couldn't even see Mifuyu wince with how quickly she looked away. "Hey, Yachan." There was an obvious strain to her voice.

"Mifuyu!" This time it was Reathma calling her name. "I-I'm sorry! I had to fight against the Uwasa. I didn't mean to get trapped in the Rumor! Please don't tell Alina!"

"Alina?" Flick echoed. Her eyes widened as she remembered one of the names Madoka had given her. "Mifuyu, are you with the Magius?!"

"So you do know about them." Mifuyu looked down. "I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?!" Yachiyo demanded. "Mifuyu!"

"The Uwasa is under an illusion," Mifuyu said. "It sees enemies attacking from all sides. Strike its blind point with everything you have, and you can take it out." With that, she leaped into the air, jumping off the distracted Uwasa to reach the bridge above them.

"Mifuyu, wait!" Yachiyo shouted. "MIFUYU!"

Flick set her mouth in a firm line, focusing on the Uwasa. It had started to send bubbles in random directions, hitting bridges that had no one on them.

"We'll get answers out of her soon," Flick promised. "But we have to get out of this. Can you fight, Yachiyo?"

Yachiyo took a deep breath, then nodded. "I'm ready."

"Good," Flick said. "I'm going to blow another hole in the Uwasa. Reathma, stick your disc in the wound, and shock it from the inside. While it's stunned, Yachiyo and Iroha will tear it apart. You guys ready?"

They all nodded, and Flick pulled back on her bow. When it felt like she had reached her limit, she strained further, getting nine arrows to materialize on the bowstring.

"Now!" Flick loosed the arrows, which all connected with the Uwasa's right eye. Before the smoke even dissipated, Reathma threw her disc into it. Flick couldn't see if it made its mark, but Reathma triggered the electricity, and the Uwasa bellowed with pain.

Finally, the smoke vanished, and sure enough, the disc was in the center of the wound. Just as Flick spotted it, Yachiyo sent the dozens of spears she had been creating forward. They flew through the air, digging through the wound from all ends. As the wound expanded, Iroha followed up with her arrows. Between the two of them, the tear in the Uwasa kept getting bigger.

Then, finally, it got too large for the Uwasa to hold its weight. It collapsed with one final croak, then evaporated into a black smoke. With its destruction, the labyrinth fell apart as well, in the same manner as a Witch's labyrinth. When it was all over, they found themselves back in Mizuna Shrine, the moon shining bright above them.

Immediately, Flick heard footsteps sprinting away from them. She spun that way.

"Reathma!" Flick called out, but it was too late. The girl jumped over the shrine entrance, disappearing from view. As for Mifuyu, she was already long gone.

"We did it!" Tsuruno cheered. "Thanks, Mifu— " She spun around, eyes scanning the area. "Where did Mifuyu go?"

"She disappeared." The broken whisper came from Yachiyo. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were watering. "Again."

"Yachiyo . . ." Flick reached out her hand, then put it down when she didn't know what to do with it. Still, she at least knew what to say.

"I'm living with Mifuyu." Flick's words had Yachiyo's head snap in her direction, her eyes wide. "We're roommates."

"You know where Mifuyu lives, Flick?!" Tsuruno asked. "Where?!"

Flick held up her hand. "First, I want to know how you know Mifuyu. If you have any idea what's been happening with her, I need to hear it. I promise I'll tell you what I know, but please explain the truth to me first.

"Tell me everything."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Needless to say, Yachiyo hadn't been thrilled with Flick's words. It had taken a few minutes of back and forth before the older girl had finally relented.

From her, Flick learned that Yachiyo, Mifuyu, and Tsuruno had been on a team together, alongside two other Magical Girls. One of those girls was Momoko, and the other was a girl named Mel, who had died. Following her death, Yachiyo had decided to disband the team (she refused to go into more detail than that, despite even Tsuruno apparently not knowing the specifics). Not long after, Mifuyu and Yachiyo had begun arguing over whether or not there was a way to be freed from becoming a Magical Girl, with Mifuyu believing that local rumors held the key. Then, one day, Mifuyu had suddenly vanished, with Yachiyo not seeing her again until the Seance Shrine.

That was all Yachiyo was willing to divulge. In return, Flick explained how she had come to Kamihama in pursuit of the Wings of the Magius, an organization devoted to the idea of freeing Magical Girls. Flick didn't explain what "freeing" them meant, but made it clear that the Magius were a threat, and were likely raising a Witch that would destroy not only Kamihama, but far more.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Flick said. "I wanted to, but I had no proof at the time."

Iroha flashed her a smile. "Don't worry, Flick. You don't have to explain everything to someone you just met."

"More importantly," Yachiyo said, stepping forward. "Where is Mifuyu living now?"

Flick winced. "About that. Before you confront her, I think I should have a talk with her. Hear me out," she blurted when Yachiyo made to protest. "Think about how quickly she ran off last time. If multiple people go to talk to her, she might run away again. If I talk to her first, I can convince her to meet up with you after."

"And if that doesn't work?" Yachiyo challenged. "What if you scare her off? What if she goes into hiding and we can't find her? I won't let that happen."

"It won't come to that," Flick said. "Now that I know Mifuyu is with the Magius, I think she was trying to find a way to recruit me. She wouldn't give up on that right away. I'll convince her to talk, at least."

"Even so, I should be nearby," Yachiyo said.

"Then Mifuyu will sense your presence." Flick met Yachiyo's eyes. "Please, Yachiyo. I know how much Mifuyu means to you—"

"Do you?" It was difficult not to turn away from Yachiyo's glare. "Mifuyu was the first Magical Girl I met, right after making my contract. She's been my partner this whole time. That means far more than you can hope to understand."

_I know more than you think, Yachiyo,_ Flick thought. _I may have only been a Magical Girl for a month before Madoka saved me, but I learned the importance of having someone who will remain at your side through everything._

"Yachiyo," Iroha spoke up. "I think Flick is right."

Yachiyo turned her glare Iroha's way. "What do you know? You're just a child."

Iroha flinched. "I . . ."

"Master?" Tsuruno hesitantly reached out.

Yachiyo took a deep breath, then sighed. "I'm sorry. Maybe you're right. I just . . . I can't bring myself to let her go when she's this close."

Flick smiled softly. "I understand. And I know we just met, but . . . can you trust me? I promise, I'll have Mifuyu meet with you, whether she wants to or not."

There was a minute of silence, before Yachiyo finally gave her response.

"You'd better."

* * *

Flick found her hand was shaking as she made to open the apartment door. A trace of Mifuyu's magic was proof that she was waiting inside, but how could Flick even begin to talk with her? More than anything, Flick wanted to trust Mifuyu after all the woman had done for her. In fact, she still didn't regret her previous trust. That was the main force currently giving her hope that Mifuyu would listen to her.

_Alright, Flick. You've got this._

Exhaling, Flick turned the doorknob and opened the door. Waiting for her on the other side was Mifuyu, sitting on the couch in her Magical Girl outfit. She smiled wanly as Flick entered.

"I wasn't sure you would come back here," Mifuyu confessed.

"I'm your friend, Mifuyu," Flick said. "I wouldn't abandon you like that." She only realized how her words sounded when Mifuyu flinched. "Can we talk?"

"Please," Mifuyu said, making room for Flick on the couch. Flick remained silent as she sat down.

"I'll explain everything," Mifuyu said once Flick was seated. "The Magius really are trying to help people, Flick."

"Really?" Flick couldn't help but ask. "Because all I've seen them do is trap innocent people in Rumors and raise Witches."

She only knew of that last part because of Madoka, but the look on Mifuyu's face gave it away regardless.

"It's necessary," Mifuyu said. "We don't want to hurt people, really."

"Then why, Mifuyu?" Flick clenched her knees. "What are the Magius trying to do?"

"They want to stop Magical Girls from turning into Witches," Mifuyu said. Her voice was shaking. "They'll save countless Magical Girls, and all the people their Witches would have consumed."

Flick shook her head. "Kyubey wouldn't make it that easy to get around his system. Even if the Magius are being honest, there's no way their plan won't backfire."

"How can you be so sure?!" Mifuyu abruptly rose from the couch, turning to glare at Flick. "Do you want to become a Witch?!"

"Of course not." In stark contrast to Mifuyu, Flick kept her voice level. "But the Magius won't save anyone. They'll only hurt countless people."

_This entire universe, in fact._

Mifuyu closed her eyes and shook her head. "That isn't true." She sat down, taking Flick's hands in her own. "I've seen it for myself. I should have turned into a Witch, but I didn't because of their system."

"Even if that's true," Flick said, narrowing her eyes. "You'll let others suffer so you don't have to."

Mifuyu pulled away from Flick's hands like they were burning. "That's—I'm not—"

"You know I'm telling the truth, Mifuyu," Flick said. "Otherwise, you would have tried to recruit me into the Wings sooner. Tell me, what is it that the Magius have the Wings doing?"

"I can't tell you." Mifuyu looked away. "Not unless you join the Wings."

"I can't do that," Flick said. This time, she was the one taking Mifuyu's hand. "But you can still get out, Mifuyu. You don't have to be with them to survive."

"I do!" Mifuyu ripped her hand out of Flick's grasp. "Can't you tell? I'm not like you or Yachan. I'm weak! I can't keep living like this. If I try, it will . . . it will break me." Her final words were a whisper.

"Mifuyu . . ." Flick honestly didn't know what to say. It was clear how much the girl in front of her was suffering. But the answer she had turned to would end only in destruction. How could Flick help her realize that?

"Don't leave me alone," Mifuyu pleaded. It terrified Flick, how much the words reminded her of herself. "I can't be alone again. You'll be welcome in the Wings, I promise."

"You don't have to be alone," Flick assured her. "Yachiyo is desperate to speak with you, you know?"

Mifuyu let out a choked laugh. "Probably so she could tell me how disappointed she is in me."

"Not at all," Flick said. She reached out a hand, then pulled it back. "She misses you dearly."

This time, Mifuyu didn't seem to have a response. Finally, it seemed Flick was getting through to her.

_I'll end this soon, I promise. Once Eve is destroyed, you'll be free without anyone getting hurt._

"No one will judge you for leaving," Flick murmured, hoping those words would be the final nail in the coffin.

They were apparently the wrong words for her to say. Mifuyu recoiled, visibly shrinking.

"The Feathers," Mifuyu whispered. "If the Magius are wrong, then I dragged all those poor girls into danger for nothing." She clutched her chest, her breathing sharper. "No, they have to be right. They have to!"

"Mifuyu!" Flick rose. She could tell right away what was happening. "You're having a panic attack. I'll get you some water."

She was stopped by Mifuyu's hand grabbing hers. Her grip was tight enough to hurt.

"Wait," Mifuyu hissed. "I can show you."

Flick swallowed. "What are you saying?" She realized a second later. Her eyes fell on Mifuyu's soul gem, then widened. "Mifuyu! You need a grief seed!" She tried to pull her hand out of Mifuyu's clasp.

"I'll be fine." Mifuyu began laughing. "This will help you understand. Let me show you the salvation that the Magius has given us."

_Dammit, where are my spare grief seeds?!_ Flick searched her pockets desperately for one. _Crap, I used my last one in the shrine!_

Madoka's words came back to Flick, about what would happen to a Magical Girl whose soul gem darkened in Kamihama. They wouldn't turn into Witches, but . . .

_"It might be better for you to see it in person."_

Why had Madoka looked so _nervous_ at the time?

"Mifuyu." Flick tried one final plea. "You don't have to do this."

The look Mifuyu gave Flick bore no resemblance to the woman she knew. Flick shuddered.

"You can trust me," Mifuyu sobbed. "The Magius will save us all!"

That was the final warning Flick got before Mifuyu's soul gem burst open.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Reathma tried not to let her exhaustion show as she walked the halls of Hotel Fendt Hope. Since she had failed in her duty to protect the Uwasa, she would have to report what had happened to the Magius. That led to a whirlwind of thoughts in her head.

 _What a night,_ she thought. This was supposed to be a simple few hours of guarding the Uwasa. Nothing more. Instead, Reathma had chosen to enter the labyrinth, and was tricked by the Uwasa's clone of her sister. The fake Asenath had looked and acted _just like_ the real one. In her desperation, Reathma hadn't questioned why Asenath would be at the shrine in the first place.

The only reason she wasn't trapped in there was because a stranger had saved her. Some random girl had pulled her out of her delusion, cleansed her soul gem, and defeated the Uwasa. Seriously, who did that?

_What was her name? Flick Chambers? She must be a veteran Magical Girl. She fought so confidently . . . and was so pretty too._

Reathma blushed at the thought. She was getting sidetracked. Now wasn't the time to think about how pretty Chambers was . . . even if she couldn't get the girl's comforting touch out of her mind.

_Something else! Think about something else! What about Chambers' reason for entering the shrine. Was she looking for someone too?_

There was also the fact that Chambers knew about the Wings of the Magius. Reathma couldn't say how much the other girl knew, since she didn't exactly stick around to find out. As grateful as Reathma was that Flick had saved her, something told her that giving up any information she had on the Wings was grounds for a hefty punishment. And from the rumors she had heard, Alina Gray's punishments were to be feared.

_Oh, God, is she in charge of punishing Wings who fail their tasks?_

Fuck, fuck, fuck. That could be bad. Especially if Mifuyu told the Magius that Reathma had gone against orders to enter the Rumor.

_Should I turn back? I could head home, burn the robe . . . no. I have to stay. The Magius are my only hope at finding Asenath and our parents._

She would find Tsukuyo and Tsukasa first. They had been the ones to assign her the task, so it was them she should report to. Maybe they would help her find a way to avoid Alina's wrath.

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

Reathma stopped in her tracks. Two Black Feathers were walking past her, talking to one another.

"What do you mean?" the second Feather asked.

"Apparently the Magius are in a good mood. Something about an unexpected force accelerating the plan."

"Wait, seriously?" The Feather stopped moving, still within earshot of Reathma. "Does that mean liberation will come sooner than we thought?"

"Seems likely. The day can't come soon enough. I want to put my life as a Magical Girl behind me. You know I wanted to be a programmer?"

With that, the two girls continued walking, too far away for Reathma to hear. Still, she had heard enough.

_The plan's been accelerated. How? I thought they had to gather tons of energy for . . . whatever they're doing. What could speed that up so suddenly?_

Well, it worked out in Reathma's favor. Whether or not Magical Girls were liberated didn't matter to her so much, but her wish had brought her to the city where that liberation was taking place. There was no doubt in Reathma's mind. Liberation was the key to finding Asenath.

_It makes sense, in a way. I haven't seen her since that day._

_The day she made a wish for my sake, and became a Magical Girl._

* * *

Flick had only seen a soul gem turn into a grief seed once before, and it had been _her_ turning into a Witch back then. Still, she remembered the experience vividly. The whispers of despair running through your mind, your other self tempting you into destruction. There was no questioning it—Witches were the same as the Magical Girls they came from. They twisted the girl into something horrifying, but the core remained. Such an experience would leave permanent scars on any Witch lucky enough to have her soul recovered.

So how did _this_ compare?

Mifuyu's body twisted, becoming more and more disfigured with each passing second until the transformation was complete. The finished being before Flick was indistinguishable from a Witch. Only the lack of a barrier forming kept Flick from believing Mifuyu's soul gem had fallen to a curse.

The legs and lower half of the torso were Mifuyu's, looking the same as when she was a Magical Girl. Everything above that, however, had changed. There was a gilded, locked birdcage where her head was supposed to be, the veil attached to it covering the top half of her body. Her coattails from her Magical Girl outfit floated in the air behind her, alongside a large cloak, looking almost like a curtain. On the back of the birdcage were two large, white arms that reached behind her. Were they . . . made of feathers? They certainly reminded Flick of wings with how they were shaped. They had replaced her normal arms, so she could only interact with the world through them. In fact, the creature that sprouted from Mifuyu seemed to be coming out of her tongue and arms. She couldn't even speak while it controlled her.

It was then that birds sprouted from the Witch-like entity.

Flick jumped back just in time, transforming into her Magical Girl outfit. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but she knew she _didn't_ want to get hit by those birds. They flew at her, looking like geese made out of sugar. There were also dozens of them, all converging on Flick.

Ducking under the first birds, Flick launched a few arrows above her, which connected with some of the others. The resulting explosions blew all the birds back, giving Flick a second to breathe.

It didn't last, as more birds descended on her. Flick slashed into one with her bow, then spun and cut open one which had tried to strike her from behind.

Flick pushed out with her magic. Given full awareness of everything in the room, she threw herself forward, between two birds. She then rolled sideways to avoid another, firing arrows at some above her. After picking herself up, she weaved left before a bird could slam into her head.

They kept coming. Flick spun to take out the birds around her, then fired arrows in all directions before more could get close. For every one she took down, it felt like there were two more waiting.

 _I have to hurry._ Flick wasn't sure how much magic she had left in her soul gem, but it had to be running low. She had already used up plenty in the Seance Shrine, and her last grief seed had gone to Iroha. That was necessary, as Iroha had been in far more peril at the time, but fighting the main Uwasa of the shrine had drained Flick even further. Now she was pushing her magic so she could avoid these birds. How long would her soul gem last?

She couldn't think about that now. Flick stabbed her bow into another bird as she pulled back on the bowstring, then released it once her aim was readjusted. The birds tried to circle around her, but she caught them with well placed arrows.

Finally, their numbers seemed to be running thin. Seeing that gave Flick the burst of energy she needed. She jumped away from the crowd of birds approaching her, then yanked back on the bowstring, forming seven arrows. Then, she released them and ducked.

The explosion had the intended effect of wiping out the remaining birds. It also had the effect of blowing aside all the furniture in Mifuyu's apartment, knocking glasses and vases to the ground at the same time. Flick flinched at the cacophony that rang out.

_Mifuyu is definitely going to get a noise complaint later._

More importantly, the massive bird cage and arms were retreating back inside Mifuyu's body. The pieces all folded together, before being shoved inside her mouth and arms. All that remained was Mifuyu in her Magical Girl outfit, standing there dazed.

_Her soul gem. It's . . ._

It was devoid of curses, as clean as it must have been when the girl made her wish.

_So this is "liberation." A process which makes victims go berserk and act like Witches. If it leaves behind the mental effects I suspect it does, then I refuse to call that salvation. It's only dragging out the process of falling to despair._

Unfortunately, she knew Mifuyu wouldn't agree. And while her half Witch was gone, Mifuyu's eyes were as crazed as before. She didn't say a word. Instead, she threw her chakram.

 _Crap!_ Flick swung with her bow, knocking the chakram off course. She was right! These things left scars on the users' minds.

 _What do I do?_ Mifuyu wasn't in a state to be reasoned with, and her soul gem had just been cleansed. Flick, meanwhile, was running on empty in both stamina and magic.

" _You could give yourself up to me."_ Flick stiffened at the seductive voice which rang out in her mind.

 _What—what was that?_ Flick ducked under Mifuyu's chakram as the older girl swung it at her, using a shot toward the ground to drive Mifuyu back. Then, she advanced with the blade raised.

" _You could stop her before she does anything she would later regret. You merely have to accept me."_

Again, that voice. It made Flick jolt mid lunge, letting Mifuyu dig her weapon in Flick's side. Flick cried out.

"Please, Flick," Mifuyu whispered. "Accept the Magius!"

" _Will you continue to let her suffer?"_

 _No,_ Flick thought. _I'm here to save her! To save all of them!_

" _Then you must submit."_

Mifuyu raised her weapon to knock Flick unconscious. What she would do once she calmed down, Flick had no idea.

_If it's to save them, I'll take on any burden._

" _Good answer."_

Everything went black.

* * *

Flick was submerged in darkness. The void threatened to overwhelm her, drowning her in her own despair. She sunk deeper, and deeper still. Her Magical Girl attire was gone, leaving her a normal human, susceptible to the curses which were born from her soul. There seemed to be no hope of returning to the light.

It was a familiar feeling.

Forcing herself to stand, Flick looked around. It really seemed like there was nothing but the dark for miles. However, when she looked closely, Flick thought she could make out a shape in the shadows. One which looked like her.

"What are you?" Flick asked.

Her doppelganger stepped forward. "Don't you recognize me? You and I were one, for a brief time.

"My Witch," Flick whispered. "Fortuna."

""That is no longer my name," the other her said. "Your despair has changed greatly since that day."

"Then what are you called?" Flick asked.

"I am Cynthia, the Doppel of Sacrifice. I am your despair."

"Sacrifice," Flick murmured.

"Do you deny it? Do you reject how little you value your own life?"

Flick shook her head. "That's not it. I want to live. There are people I care for, and I don't want to leave them."

Cynthia took another step forward. "Then why do you throw your life into danger on a whim? Why did you throw away your soul for a chance at saving a city of strangers?"

"That's not—"

"Isn't it? You didn't even say goodbye to your family, or to the one you cherish."

The words stung more than Flick wanted to admit. She found herself struggling to form a response.

"You want to live, yet you show such little value for your safety." The Doppel began to walk in circles around Flick. "Why could that be, I wonder? Could it be . . ." she leaned forward, putting her chin on her hand. "Guilt?"

Flick reared back. "What are you talking about?"

"You let your mom be taken," Cynthia said, continuing to walk. Flick spun around, trying to keep the Doppel in her sights. "You let yourself despise her for years. Nevermind the fact that she gave herself to that necromancer in _your_ place."

Flick shriveled.

"And what do you do when you find out the truth? Do you try to stop the necromancer who took her? Nope." Cynthia twirled. "You wished it all away!"

"S-so what?" Flick snapped. "What else could I do? I had just learned magic existed!"

"You could have made it so her sacrifice meant something. She wanted you to be happy! And you spit on that by selling your soul."

The words took Flick's breath away. No. That wasn't what she had been trying to do. She had just been. . . scared. Desperate. Kyubey had come to her in her most vulnerable moment.

"I bet it felt good," her Doppel continued, clearly aware of Flick's inner turmoil. "Gaining pity from the Mitakihara Magical Girls with your sob story. They even let you take charge at times! You got to be the hero, leading them all into danger so you could feel special."

"Stop it," Flick whispered.

"Oh, and let's not forget how you let yourself become a Witch to save that blue haired girl. Poor Tabbris was so terrified she had lost her sister for good. Funny how you were so focused on your own trauma after the fact, that you never addressed hers. What a terrible sister you are. I bet Tabbris prefers the old Flick, before you forced your way in with your wish and took that girl's place."

"Stop!"

"Admit it." Cynthia stood directly in front of Flick, gazing into her soul. "You try to come off as a selfless hero, but you've always been a self-centered bitch."

Flick's protests stopped. Her head lowered to stare numbly into the vast void below her. She was as still as a statue.

"Nothing to say?" her despair taunted.

Flick muttered an unintelligible sentence.

"What was that?" It cupped its hand over its ear. "I couldn't hear you."

Flick snapped her head up, glaring at the Doppel as her voice echoed across the empty space.

" **I will never give myself to you again!"**

A flash of light, and Flick was in her Magical Girl outfit, bow in hand. A bright, golden light emanated from her hairpin, in the empty space where her soul gem was supposed to be. Cynthia stumbled back as the light enveloped her.

"I accepted long ago that I would have to live with my past!" Flick yelled. "My mistakes, the pain I caused everyone, they're _mine_ to bear! You say I'm in Kamihama because of _guilt_? You're wrong! I'm here because my mom fought to change the world. She suffered so that innocent people would no longer have to live in fear. And if there's one person I'm proud to base my own ethics on, it's her. It will always be her."

A small tug on her bowstring produced a single arrow, which she pointed at her Doppel.

"I will not throw my life away. There are people waiting for me to come back to them. And no matter what you say, _I will not spit on their kindness_!

"So obey me, Cynthia, **Doppel of Legacy!** "

Flick loosed the arrow.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Mifuyu wasn't sure what she was doing anymore.

It had all gone so _wrong_. Not only had Yachan broken free from the Rumor, but the Uwasa itself had attacked her, forcing Mifuyu to reveal herself. To make matters worse, Flick hadn't accepted the actions of the Magius. Then there was everything Flick said about their salvation. Mifuyu knew the Magius were sacrificing others, but was the cost really too steep? If so, then Mifuyu was to blame for roping dozens of innocent girls into becoming monsters. Every Feather was her responsibility, and she had failed them.

In her panic, Mifuyu had released her Doppel, letting it control her emotions to the point she had kept fighting after it returned to her. Only now were her senses returning, as she was poised to strike the final blow against Flick. Too far in to back out. Just like she was with the Wings.

Mifuyu swung her chakram down, prepared to accept the consequences.

A gust of wind blew her back. She did a backflip in midair, landing on her feet.

_What was that?_

Mifuyu realized a second too late, as Flick's Doppel burst out of her back.

The creature lacked legs. It's long, round torso extended above Flick's head, letting Mifuyu see its face. It was a single, pulsating, golden eye. It peered in every direction possible.

The torso itself was a light brown, and it was mostly covered by a dark yellow dress. There were white wings which sprouted from it. The Doppel used those wings to lift itself—and Flick—into the air.

This . . . this was very bad. When a person lacked control over their Doppel, it could cause massive destruction. This was especially true for someone's first time. Not used to being filled with curses, the user would practically be a Witch in that moment, attacking indiscriminately. Flick would be no exception.

At least, she should have been. However, when Mifuyu looked into her eyes, they were _lucid_. Flick was starting directly at Mifuyu.

"Mifuyu," Flick said. "I'm going to help you. I promise."

"Flick?" Mifuyu couldn't believe what she was seeing. A second later, she didn't see _anything_. Flick's wings shined so brightly she was forced to cover her eyes. As she did so, she felt her resolve slip away.

_Why am I fighting Flick? I know she's telling the truth, but . . ._

_I can't keep going like this._

Mifuyu was glad when she fell unconscious.

* * *

**Doppel Description: The Doppel of Legacy. It's form is an angel. The master of this Doppel will use every drop of her power to protect those she considers her responsibility. The wings of this Doppel can emit a brilliant light, which dulls the emotions of those who look into it. This makes them lose the will to continue fighting. The Doppel sprouts from the back, forcing its master into the air.**

* * *

Consciousness came back to Mifuyu slowly. Probably because she was resisting. There was so much she would have to face when she woke up. All her actions would come crashing down on her, and there was no way to avoid them. She wondered if she even deserved to wake up.

In the end, her body won against her mind, and Mifuyu's eyes slowly opened.

"Mifuyu!" Flick was there, rushing to Mifuyu's side. Mifuyu had been laid on her couch, which was the only piece of furniture not overturned in her apartment. Actually, it looked as though Flick had fixed the table too, putting a glass of water on it.

"How are you feeling?" Flick asked.

"Better than before," Mifuyu said, sitting up. "Flick, I . . . I'm sorry. You saw a terrible side of me today."

Flick shook her head. "It wasn't your fault."

"You don't need to say that." Mifuyu closed her eyes. "I'm willing to accept the consequences of all I've done."

"Mifuyu . . ."

"I don't know what to do, Flick," Mifuyu whispered. "I can't bear a world where Yachan and I meet with terrible fates before truly becoming adults. And I can't abandon all the young girls I took in for my goals."

Her words were met with silence. Flick looked to be deep in thought, and Mifuyu was unsure of what to say. Would Flick deem her a lost cause?

"What do you want to do?" Flick finally asked. "In this moment."

_I want to see Yachan again. I want to get on my knees and beg her for forgiveness._

"I don't know," Mifuyu said. Flick had forced Mifuyu to confront a horrible truth she had been avoiding. Now that the doubts had been planted in her mind, it was impossible for her to ignore them.

Then again, she never was all-in on the Magius' plans. She had considered leaving, once, but stayed when she realized that it was her who kept the Magius together. That, and since she was the main recruiter for the Wings, the Black and White Feathers trusted her most. More than anything, Mifuyu was afraid of what would happen were she to abandon the Magius.

That seemed to always be the case with her. Every action was driven by fear. It didn't matter what she truly wanted, as long as fear continued to control her.

A tissue found its way into Mifuyu's hands. Mifuyu smiled graciously at Flick, then wiped her eyes. She hadn't even noticed she was crying. Now that the tears had started, though, they wouldn't stop. Mifuyu buried her face in her hands, holding back a sob.

Flick placed her hand on Mifuyu's shoulder. "You don't have to hold it in," she said. "I tried that, once, and a good friend told me that crying alone sometimes hurts more than not crying at all. I wouldn't judge you for being honest with how you feel."

Those words were the permission Mifuyu needed. She let the sob out, and with it came more tears. Flick wrapped an arm around her, leaving it there while Mifuyu continued to cry her eyes out.

It turned out Flick was right. Crying by someone else's side felt much better than crying alone.

* * *

As Mifuyu continued to cry, Flick's mind was racing.

The effects of using her Doppel were only now fading. Whispers in her mind were telling her to quit, that she was a monster for leaving her family behind. It told her to destroy everything so she could go home.

_It's like when I came back from being a Witch. After that, my transformation would turn me into a smaller version of my Witch, rather than a Magical Girl. That form was powerful, but it was always whispering in the back of my mind. Telling me to kill all my friends to show them the harsh truth of the world. If Tabbris hadn't been hitching a ride in my brain, I might have given in to those temptations._

Flick would have to be careful not to use her Doppel unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, there would come a day when even she wouldn't recover. Her previous experience as a Witch made it easier to control now, but it also meant that her mind was used to accepting despair.

Eve had to be destroyed, and Flick couldn't do that alone. She _needed_ Mifuyu's help. Except when Flick looked down and saw the huddled figure next to her on the couch, she didn't see a strong, veteran Magical Girl ready to fight any demon that stood in her way. She saw a broken woman, one who had been misused her entire life, and was now trapped in a seemingly endless maze with no escape. Could Flick really ask her to take her first step toward the exit?

Flick's Doppel was the Doppel of Legacy, all because of how much she wanted to be like her mom. Joselyn Atherby was capable of rallying hundreds of people to fight against a cause they had previously believed in their whole lives. Some had been alive for far longer than any Magical Girl. How could Flick possess that same spirit, and the capability to help people move forward?

_Mom never planned on being that type of person, did she? It happened because there was no one else, and Mom refused to stand by. She held tight to her morals, and that was what made her such a great leader._

_More than anything else, she had to try._

"Mifuyu," Flick said. "I want to liberate Magical Girls."

Mifuyu's gaze snapped her way, wide eyed.

"Not the way the Magius do," Flick said. "I want to save Magical Girls my own way."

"How?" Mifuyu choked. "What makes you think that's possible?"

"I told you I came to Kamihama because of the rumors of Magical Girls being saved," Flick said. "I knew the Magius were behind them, and I knew their salvation would come at too great a cost. Because . . ." Flick took a deep breath. This was a make or break moment. "I've seen that there's another way."

Mifuyu stared at her, and Flick saw the disbelief in her eyes. Still, there was no turning back now. Flick was tired of keeping secrets. If she and Mifuyu were truly going to be in this together, Flick had to tell her the truth. All of it.

"I need you to listen to me," Flick said. "It's a long story, and most of it will sound like complete nonsense. You probably won't even understand why I'm telling you certain parts. But all of it's true, and it all has to do with why I'm here in Kamihama. Will you listen?"

After a minute, Mifuyu nodded. Seeing that, Flick began her story. She told Mifuyu _everything_. From the day her mother ran out on her, to the day she made her first wish. She spoke of everything that had happened in Mitakihara, and all the people involved. Her story wasn't limited to Magical Girls, either. Flick explained what Heretics and Alters were, alongside the great war between the Fomorians and the Seosten. The only part she left out was Homura's time loops, as Flick wasn't entirely sure whether or not there was a Homura in this universe.

After recounting the fight and victory against Walpurgisnacht, Flick talked about the Magias. The new group of magical beings, granted powers through Madoka's soul gem that had changed form after its brief time as a grief seed. Though only a few months had passed since their founding, they were making strides toward change. Unlike the old Rebellion, they could choose to block out magic, meaning a memory spell wouldn't stop them this time. It was, for many, a time of hope.

That was the hope Flick wanted to bring to this universe. Stopping the transformation of Magical Girls into Witches was part of that, but once this was all over, she wanted to talk to Gaia about returning to this dimension. If they could spread word about a spell which returned a Magical Girl's soul to her body, their fates would be drastically changed.

"Wait a second," Mifuyu said. "You keep talking about this spell that gives us back our souls, but why haven't you used it already? Many Feathers would go to you instead of the Magius if you could offer them something like that."

"That's the issue," Flick said. "I haven't been able to cast spells since I got here."

"Oh." Mifuyu sighed. "Meaning you also can't prove any of this is real."

"Do you believe me?" Flick asked. "Or at least any of what I'm saying?"

"I truly don't know," Mifuyu said. "In most situations, I wouldn't believe a word of what you're saying. Honestly, there's only one reason I'm considering your story now."

"What is that?" Flick said.

"I want to believe it." Mifuyu met Flick's gaze. "If you're telling the truth, then there's still hope. I would be so happy if it was all true. It's just . . ."

"I get it," Flick said. "It isn't an easy story to swallow." She stood up, looking at the mess filled ground for a specific set of items. Once she found them, she picked them up.

"Your notebook?" Mifuyu asked.

"I'm still trying to figure out how to make spells work here," Flick said. Rather than draw inside the notebook, she took her pen and drew on the cover. "See this symbol? When I pour magic into it, it should make the object it's drawn on emit a beam of light. But nothing happens." She tried doing so just to be sure. The spell was one she had practiced dozens of times in her universe. It had almost always worked, once she had gotten the hang of it. This time, as she activated the spell, she could feel the magic sizzle out.

"That is strange," Mifuyu said. "Might I try?"

"I guess," Flick said. "As a Magical Girl, you should be able to cast spells. Low level ones like this shouldn't be too dangerous, either."

With some guidance from Flick, Mifuyu drew a replica of the symbol. Then, Flick talked her through the steps of empowering it with magic.

"Think of it like imbuing a weapon with magic to make it more effective," Flick said. "Consider the effect you want, and actualize it."

She wasn't sure how much her advice mattered. Maybe Mifuyu would feel the beginning of a spell's activation like Flick always did. That wasn't the greatest proof, but—

A beam of light shot from the notebook.

"Wah!" Mifuyu dropped the notebook, but the cover stayed right side up, shining a beacon of light at the ceiling. Both Mifuyu and Flick stared at it with wide eyes.

"Holy crap," Flick said. "You just cast a spell."

"I did," Mifuyu said. "That means . . . your story was true?"

Flick had completely forgotten about that, in the moment. Her mind was far too preoccupied with another topic. One which would stick with her for a long time.

_Mifuyu can use spells just fine. So what is keeping me from doing the same?_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Multiple universes existed. One of those universes was filled with magical creatures. Her current housemate had come from that universe to stop the Magius. That task had been given to her by the goddess of Magical Girls.

All of it was so difficult to believe, yet Mifuyu couldn't deny the magic Flick had shown her. They had tried another simple spell after the first worked, and it had gone off as well. Magic existed outside of Kyubey's system.

What was Mifuyu to do with that information? Last night, after fixing the mess she had made in her apartment (okay it was mostly Flick who cleaned up, but Mifuyu had tried to help), Mifuyu had slept on what she had learned. Now that it was a new day, she still wasn't any closer to finding answers.

One thing she was sure of was that she could no longer put her faith in the Magius. Flick had explained how Eve's influence was keeping the Law of Cycles from affecting this universe. Continuing to help them would be a betrayal to all Magical Girls.

_Then again, I've already betrayed the trust of so many girls, roping them in with the Wings of the Magius._

Mifuyu had to make it up to them somehow. She would do whatever was necessary to atone. According to Flick, the spell to fix a Magical Girl's soul would take a large supply of magic. Mifuyu wasn't nearly ready to cast it without immediately unleashing her Doppel. She would need time. Still, Flick was willing to teach it to her. When the time came, she would personally repair as many souls as she could.

_I'm on a time limit, though. My magic is only getting weaker, and according to Flick, you need to have enough magic available to power a soul gem in place of the Magical Girl's soul._

This wouldn't be easy. Still, Mifuyu couldn't run away any longer. Which was why she was making this next step.

The doorbell rang, and Mifuyu took a deep breath. Flick, sitting next to her on the couch, noticed right away. She put a hand on Mifuyu's shoulder and squeezed.

"You can do this," Flick said.

Right. It was time to correct the mistake she had made. Mifuyu rose and made her way to the door. Steeling herself, she then opened the door. The person on the other said widened their eyes upon seeing her.

"Mifuyu."

Mifuyu swallowed. "Hello, Yachan."

* * *

_Dear Mifuyu,_

_Since my birthday, I've realized that I like someone. But . . . I don't know what to do. We aren't ordinary girls, so even if this person likes me back, we may not be able to be together._

_I know that, and still . . . I wrote a letter to my crush. I don't want just to pretend I never had these feelings, even if the worst happens._

_But I'm lost on whether I should have you deliver this letter, should I die. Getting a letter from a dead girl . . . It's unkind to do that to someone. Right? What would you do in that situation, Mifuyu?_

_From, Yachiyo_

* * *

For a few moments, the two of them stood there in silence. Neither of them was quite sure what to say.

Yachiyo was just as beautiful as Mifuyu remembered. She was currently wearing a pink blouse and black skirt. Though Mifuyu took pride in her appearance, she had always known she was leagues behind Yachiyo.

No matter what she was wearing, though, Mifuyu would have stared. It was no wonder Yachiyo was a model. Everything about her was utterly flawless.

"Why don't you come in?" Mifuyu said, finally finding her voice. Yachiyo nodded and stepped inside. After closing the door behind her, Mifuyu once again faced the friend she had betrayed. She still had no clue what she would say.

Yachiyo beat her to it.

"You ran away."

Mifuyu flinched. "I did."

"I thought you might have died," Yachiyo said. "Or that it was my fault you were no longer around."

Mifuyu recognized the stoic expression on her face, the kind that was holding back her true emotions. Yachan's anger had always been the cold type, though that never made it easy to deal with. Especially not now.

Honestly, Mifuyu deserved her anger. If Yachiyo ended up hitting her in the moment, Mifuyu wouldn't blame her. She deserved that too, and more.

"Yachan," Mifuyu whispered. "I'm so sor—" Yachiyo lunged forward, cutting her off as she braced herself for the expected strike. That wasn't what happened, though. A pair of arms wrapped around Mifuyu, and she stood frozen at the realization that Yachiyo was _hugging her_.

"I'm so happy you're okay," Yachiyo sobbed. Her words tore Mifuyu's heart in half, making her tear up as well. She immediately returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry, Yachan," Mifuyu croaked. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Yachiyo shook her head, pressed against Mifuyu's shoulder. "I need you, Mifuyu. Please, stay with me."

"I will," Mifuyu swore. "I'll never leave your side again."

She had been so stupid. How could she have given up what was most precious to her? What had she been thinking?

"I missed you," Mifuyu found herself saying.

"I missed you too," Yachiyo replied.

They were together once more. And this time, nothing would separate them. They would find their happiness together.

* * *

_Dear Mifuyu,_

_I'm older now, and I'm still modeling. When I do modeling work it reminds me that it was modeling itself that marked my origin as a Magical Girl. I think I should be able to scrape by with this work for as long as I'm alive._

_The reason I'm reminded of this is likely because once again, after all this time, I let someone die fighting a Witch._

_I'm the reason she's gone. I think I may have gotten careless, after all these days gone by as a Magical Girl._

_There's no way I can bring her back, but I can make sure it won't happen again. I'll go back to how I was when I started. One who strikes down the encroaching darkness in this world, in a just manner. One who righteously saves others._

_I swear that I will never forget those values. So . . . if it ever seems like I have faltered like that again . . . If I have strayed from my personal ethics, I want you to correct me._

_Of course, if you ever stray from the path or get involved in something unethical, then I will stop you, even if it means that we became enemies._

_From, Yachiyo_

* * *

"I see," Yachiyo said a short time later. Flick and Mifuyu had both explained their stories to her. They were now sitting at the table, drinking tea while they discussed what would come next.

"So you unleashed your Doppel, Mifuyu. Then Touka found you, and you joined up with the Magius. You could have talked to me, you know?"

Mifuyu looked away. "I'm sorry. I was afraid of what you would think of me. Especially after . . ."

After their argument. Mifuyu had wanted to look into rumors to find a way out of being a Magical Girl. Yachiyo hadn't wanted to put their faith in something so flimsy.

Come to think of it, Mifuyu had vanished the next day. Knowing that she had unleashed her Doppel . . . Yachiyo shuddered. In most circumstances, Mifuyu would have turned into a Witch, and Yachiyo never would have known.

"You're here now," Yachiyo said. "That's all that matters. Though I don't think you should continue pretending to be a part of the Wings."

If anything, that was the detail of Mifuyu's story that Yachiyo had the most trouble accepting. She understood the responsibility Mifuyu felt for the Feathers, but she was putting herself in unnecessary danger this way.

"I have to do it, Yachan," Mifuyu said. "I can give you and Flick information on Rumors. You can save the people trapped inside them. When the opportunity to strike at Eve arises, I can let you two know."

"Even so, there has to be a safer way," Yachiyo said.

"I agree with Yachiyo," Flick said. "If we gather enough Magical Girls, we could strike at their base."

Mifuyu shook her head. "Eve is tightly guarded. For now, we need them to commit more Feathers to the Rumors. The best way to do that would be to take down a few Rumors in quick succession."

Flick sighed. "Then we'll have to be fast."

"You're agreeing to this plan?" Yachiyo asked.

"It's our best shot at taking Eve down," Flick said. "If we don't . . ." She trailed off, looking pained. Yachiyo could guess why.

"I'm still not sure if I believe your story," Yachiyo said. "The 'spells' you taught Mifuyu could be your own personal magic affecting her in some way."

"Yachan—" Mifuyu started.

"I'm not saying it's impossible," Yachiyo clarified. "Even so, I won't put my trust in a goddess I can't see. Even if that goddess is supposedly one of us."

"I understand," Flick said. "What about the spell? The one to fix souls?"

"You can teach that to me alongside Mifuyu," Yachiyo said. "No matter what I believe, I can't pass up the chance of this magic being real."

Mifuyu beamed at her, and Yachiyo's heart fluttered. "Thank you, Yachan."

Yachiyo drank from her tea to calm herself before responding. "On a similar note, you two should stay at Mikazuki Villa for the time being. That would give us more time to practice."

Flick looked Mifuyu's way.

"Are you . . . sure you want me back?" Mifuyu asked.

"Mifuyu," Yachiyo said. "Look at me." Mifuyu did so. "I've wanted to invite you back to the Villa this whole time. There will always be a room for you there."

"Yachan . . ." Mifuyu's eyes were watering, but there was a massive grin on her face. "Thank you. Yes, I will return home."

Yachiyo would never say just how relieved those words made her. She smiled.

"Will that be a problem if the Magius find out?" Flick asked.

After wiping her eyes, Mifuyu held her chin and hummed. "They shouldn't," she said after a few seconds. "They don't check on me here. There were two Feathers who did, but I had them stop when you started living here. As long as I keep up with the scholarship Touka got me, they won't have any reason to be suspicious."

"Then it's settled," Yachiyo said. "We'll get you two settled in right away."

"Actually . . ." Mifuyu said. "There's somewhere I have to be first."

Yachiyo frowned. "Is it something for the Magius?"

"It was," Mifuyu said, "but not anymore. I promised a group of Magical Girls from Mitakihara City that I would meet with them at sunset today to explain what was going on in Kamihama. Originally, I wanted to recruit them for the Wings, but now I think we might be able to get them to help us."

"Wait, back up a second." Flick's eyes were wide for some reason. "Did you say these Magical Girls were from Mitakihara?"

"One definitely was," Mifuyu said. "Mami Tomoe."

"Mami . . ." Flick muttered.

"You know her?" Yachiyo asked.

"Sort of," Flick said. "I know a version of her."

Even if she had her doubt, Yachiyo could still connect the dots. "You know the Mami Tomoe from your universe."

"Yeah," Flick said. "God, it's going to be weird talking to her like she's a stranger later."

"Later?" Mifuyu echoed.

"You didn't think I would let you go alone, did you?" Flick asked.

"Same here," Yachiyo said. "The three of us will talk to them together."

At first, Mifuyu didn't seem to know how to respond to those words. Then, she laughed.

"I need to remember that I'm not alone anymore," she said.

Yachiyo reached over and took her hand. "You remember the letters we used to exchange," she said, "right, Mifuyu?"

Mifuyu squeezed her hand. "I do."

"Letters?" Flick asked.

"You never know when you might die as a Magical Girl," Yachiyo said. "So Mifuyu and I exchanged wills of sorts, in case anything were to happen to one of us."

"That's . . . morbid," Flick said. "But I can see why you would think that it's necessary."

"But why bring them up, Yachan?" Mifuyu asked.

"I want you to remember what I wrote in the last one I sent you," Yachiyo said. "And I want to know, will you let me continue being selfish?"

"Yachan . . ." Mifuyu smiled, continuing to hold onto her hand. "Of course I will."

"Thank you." For the first time in so long, Yachiyo's world felt bright. There were still her worries over her wish, and that her personal magic caused people near her to die. But for once, she felt the tiniest spark of hope that maybe she could change that.

Now that Mifuyu was back, anything felt possible.

* * *

_Dear Mifuyu,_

_I'm older now . . . I have survived this long as a Magical Girl. And yet . . . it took me way too long to learn the truth about Witches._

_I despise Kyubey with all my heart. It hurts so much not to have realized._

_And there's one more concern I have._

_I think there may be a chance . . . That my wish killed those other girls._

_It's my fault she became a Witch. It all happened so I could live. Her death may be how my wish to survive was granted. That thought terrifies me._

_I think I should avoid getting involved with others._

_But you . . . Mifuyu . . ._

_You're the only one . . . You're more than a teammate to me. You're the one person I can call a partner. I want to stay with you until the very end._

_These are my true feelings. Forgive me for being so weak._

_From, Yachiyo_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Mami, do you think we can trust her?"

Mami turned to face the girl who had asked the question. Despite her shyness, Homura wasn't one to keep her thoughts to herself. Especially when it came to their safety. Mami smiled.

"Don't worry, Homura. With all of us there, we'll be prepared if anything goes wrong. I even contacted Kyoko. Surprisingly, she was willing to come along."

Homura blinked. "Really?"

"It surprised me too," Mami said. "Still, we need to figure out what is happening in Kamihama. Kuroe isn't the only one who wants answers."

"Kuroe . . ." Homura muttered.

"Is something the matter?" Mami asked.

Homura started. "Nothing!"

Mami couldn't help but chuckle. The bespeckled, twin-braided girl certainly wasn't what Mami had been expecting from Kyubey's so called anomaly. Honestly, the past week had been anything but normal for her. First she had found Madoka, who had been quick to make a contract. After that, Sayaka had made her contract. Then came along Homura, a girl who Kyubey hadn't made a contract with, but obviously wanted to help. Finally, Kuroe had sought Mami out, joining their group despite not being a Magical Girl from Mitakihara. Now, Kyoko might even work with her again for the sake of solving this mystery.

Honestly, the lonely Mami of even a few weeks ago wouldn't have believed this was possible. Certainly, this is all she had hoped for on some days. If only there wasn't the mess in Kamihama to deal with.

There was knocking on her apartment door, and Mami rose from her seat to open it. On the other side were Madoka, Sayaka, and Kuroe.

"Sorry we're late!" Madoka bowed.

Mami waved off her concern. "Don't worry about it. I only just finished getting ready myself. So, are you girls ready to go to Kamihama?"

Kuroe nodded, remaining silent as the others began to converse among themselves.

There were many times when Mami wasn't sure what to think of Kuroe. That she had heard about Mami from someone who apparently wasn't even a Magical Girl had her curious enough. More than that, though, it was clear that Kuroe had little interest in continuing to be a Magical Girl. Though she accepted Mami's guidance, she would still take a chance to escape their life if she believed it was possible. Mami worried that she would be so caught up in that goal, she would lose sight of all else.

_I'll just have to help her. I have to help all of them._

That was her responsibility as the eldest, most experienced Magical Girl of the group. She had to set an example for them to follow. With this situation in Kamihama, she would have to respond accordingly. This would be a chance to show the younger girls how to deal with potentially hostile Magical Girls.

Mami hoped it wouldn't come to blows, but she was prepared to take down any threats to her girls' safety.

* * *

They arrived at the Coordinator's early.

It had been a few days since Flick had visited, and she still wasn't used to the place. Even knowing how strange the city was, it was worrying how much they relied on the Coordinator. Without her to power them up and take care of grief seeds, how would Magical Girls survive? There had to be some sort of backup system in place.

_Wyatt might be rubbing off on me more than I thought._ She had met her strange older brother not long after the formation of the Unity school. His paranoia was unlike anything she had seen.

_I wonder if he's trying to find a way to contact me. I hope he's not spending too much time worrying. I chose to come here, and Madoka promised me she would let the others know._

Then again, Flick hadn't heard from Madoka since that night. The goddess had promised to keep in touch, but there weren't any signs of her even trying to reach out to Flick.

Eve might have been the issue. A source of impurities that massive easily could have been blocking out Madoka's influence. Hopefully once it was all over, Flick would be able to get in touch with Madoka.

Flick forced those thoughts out of her head when she realized there was another girl speaking with the Coordinator. She had short white hair, and was wearing a black school uniform.

Whatever conversation they were having stopped as soon as Flick and the others entered the room. Mitama turned their way with a smile.

"Mifuyu, I see you brought Flick here again. And Yachiyo, too?"

"It's . . . a long story," Mifuyu said

The other girl focused her attention on Flick. "I don't believe we have met."

"We haven't. Felicity Chambers." Flick held out a hand.

"Kanagi Izumi." The girl shook her head. She seemed to be older than Flick, but younger than Yachiyo and Mifuyu. "I'm in charge of Magical Girls in the East."

"It's been a while, Kanagi," Yachiyo said.

"It has," Kanagi said, turning toward Yachiyo. "How is the situation in the West?"

"Manageable," Yachiyo said. "Though there have been some problems recently."

"Are you referring to the Wings of the Magius?" Kanagi asked. "They've been causing trouble in the East as well."

"Wait, hold on a second." Flick held up a hand. "Yachiyo, are you in charge of the west side of the city?"

"I am," Yachiyo said. "Alongside Mifuyu."

Mifuyu jolted. She sent a questioning gaze Yachiyo's way, which the other woman responded to with a nod. The motions hadn't gone unnoticed by either Mitama or Kanagi.

"Has something happened?" Kanagi asked.

"Actually, that's partly what we came to talk about," Mifuyu said. "I want to help deal with the Wings," she took a deep breath, "as a former Wing myself."

Kanagi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"So you're betraying them, Mifuyu?" Mitama asked.

Mifuyu held her arm and looked away. "I am. Though I plan on continuing to pretend that I'm still loyal to the organization. I can no longer justify their actions, nor my own working alongside them."

"Why don't you explain what happened?" Mitama said.

They all sat down, and Mifuyu once again explained her story. She trailed off when she got to the part where Flick had told her about magic.

"Something on your mind, Mifuyu?" Mitama asked.

"You know, don't you?" Mifuyu asked. "About where Flick came from."

"Wait, what?" Flick asked. Since when had Mitama known?

If Mitama was hiding some big secret, she didn't show it. She smirked at Flick's confusion.

"I am sorry for not telling you sooner, Flick. I wanted to sort out what I had seen."

"Seen?" Flick asked. "What's going on?"

"Mitama's power lets her see another person's memories," Kanagi said. "It happens whenever you get adjusted."

"I really didn't mean to hide anything from you," Mitama said. "Rest assured, I have a strict policy of confidentiality between myself and my customers."

"Right . . ." Flick leaned back, dazed. There was someone she could have talked to about her situation the whole time, and she had no clue. Wow.

"So you know the truth, then," Flick said.

"What truth?" Kanagi asked.

"It's . . . a little hard to believe," Flick said.

"That won't be a problem." Kanagi transformed into her Magical Girl attire—a white dress, gloves, cape, and boots. Her soul gem was placed in a monocle that covered her right eye. "If you don't mind me searching your thoughts, I can easily tell whether or not you're lying."

Flick shrugged. "I've already had one person look into my mind. What harm is there in another?"

Given permission, Kanagi stepped over to Flick and used her magic. Flick didn't feel any different, but she trusted it would work. And so, it was now her turn to tell her story again. She wondered if she should write it down for people in the future.

Kanagi stepped back, looking stunned. "That is . . . much to take in."

"You're telling me," Flick muttered. "Try living it."

"Regardless, unless your entire past has been rewritten, we can assume it is true," Mitama said. "With that in mind, it might be time for me to change my stance in this city."

Yachiyo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

For a second, Flick had trouble reading the expression on Mitama's face, if only because it seemed so out of place on her. She realized that was because Mitama looked _ashamed._

"I chose to remain neutral in this conflict between the Magius and the remaining Kamihama Magical Girls," Mitama said. "I've continued doing adjustments to both sides . . . and I've sold grief seeds to the Magius."

"You what?!" Flick stood up. "Don't you realize what you've been contributing to?"

"I do," Mitama said. She placed her hands together. "I am truly sorry, Flick. I did not realize how dangerous the Magius truly were. Rest assured, I am on your side from here on out."

"Our side?" Flick sat back down. "You mean you'll fight against the Magius?"

"In my own way," Mitama said. "If Mifuyu is pretending to work with them, I can give the grief seeds to her. She can slow down the rate at which they reach the Magius. Also, I can give you information about their plans."

"Another double agent," Yachiyo said.

"Exactly."

"You should be careful, Mitama," Kanagi said. "You'll be in danger if the Magius catch on to what you're doing."

"Oh my, are you concerned for you dear Coordinator?" Mitama asked, purposefully widening her eyes.

Kanagi sighed. "I don't want to see you get hurt. Expect to see me check in on you more often."

"Very well." Unlike Kanagi, Mitama's sigh was loud and forced. "I suppose I can accept your pampering."

"I'll do what I can to keep the Magius from being suspicious of you," Mifuyu said. "Though that all depends on how much they trust me going forward . . ."

"We need to come up with a plan," Yachiyo said. "This isn't the sort of threat we normally face as Magical Girls."

Her words surprised Flick, not because of the words herself, but because of how _relieved_ Flick was to hear them.

_I finally have people willing to help me against the Magius. I don't have to face them alone. Not only that, but Mifuyu and Mitama were two of their more important assets. With them switching sides, we might finally be able to strike back._

"Right," Flick said. "I think our first action should be to take out another Rumor. Preferably one that's useful to the Magius. Mifuyu, do you know of any?"

"Let me think." Mifuyu stared into the distance, clearly deep in thought. "There is one that comes to mind. It only attracts one person at a time, so they use it to raise Witches."

"Okay, yeah, putting a stop to that seems like a good place to start," Flick said. "What Rumor is this?"

"The Rumor of the Anonymous A.I," Mifuyu said. "It—"

The door to the Coordinator's place opened, forcing Mifuyu to stop talking. There were six girls who entered, all of which Flick recognized. Still, a few seconds passed before she was able to take in the sight of them. For one thing, she hadn't been sure Kuroe would take her advice back on the train. For another, one of the girls looked almost unrecognizable as the one Flick knew in her timeline. Lastly, _those two_ working together this early on was a shock. Not that it was unwelcome. In fact, Flick smiled at the sight of all of them together, before remembering what they were here for.

_Guess we'll have to finish our conversation later,_ Flick thought. _First, we have to convince these girls to join our side._ Flick focused on one girl in particular. _And if she takes learning the truth as poorly as she did last time . . . this could get ugly._

Mami, Homura, Madoka, Sayaka, Kyoko, and Kuroe were here. They were expecting answers, and whatever they heard would surely have drastic effects on how they acted going forward. Though not all of them were likely to join the Wings, it certainly wasn't impossible for some of them to decide their only hope of survival laid with the Magius.

Flick didn't even want to consider facing them as enemies.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Welcome, girls." Mitama was the first to speak. "Is this your first time in Kamihama?"

Mami stepped forward, taking charge. "We've visited before," she said. "We're from the surrounding areas, and we're here for answers on why the Witches have all been converging on Kamihama."

"Let's skip all this sweet talk," Kyoko said. She took a bite of pocky. "Are you people trying to keep all the Witches to yourselves? If so, this meeting won't end with just a friendly chat."

That was the Kyoko that Flick remembered. She was aggressive right out of the gate. With time, she would mellow out, her caring side taking over as she got close to others. For now, though, Flick couldn't risk treating her like the girl back in Flick's timeline. That went for all of them.

"That isn't the case at all," Yachiyo said. "Most of us want the number of Witches in Kamihama to return to normal."

Mami narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't aware there would be other girls involved in this conversation, Azusa-san."

"I'm sorry," Mifuyu said. "The situation has changed." The Mitakihara Girls tensed. "You will still get your answers, I promise. It might take more time to explain, however."

The girls took that as an invitation to start sitting down. "What do you mean?" Sayaka asked. "What's changed."

Mifuyu stared at her. "You weren't in Kamihama last night." She looked at Kyoko. "Neither were you."

Kyoko grinned. "It was only a matter of time before I showed up here. You can't expect us to ignore everything ya guys are doing."

"I suppose not," Mifuyu said. "I promise to tell you everything. But please, wait until I'm finished before making assumptions. There's much about Magical Girls that Kyubey has kept hidden from us."

Most of the girls frowned at her words, but Flick noticed the jolt from Homura. She looked like she wanted to speak up, but wasn't willing to do so. Instead, she shuffled in her chair.

_Wait._ Flick had noticed the differences when she walked in, but only now was she paying attention to them. The Homura she knew was a broken, stoic girl with a penchant for hair flicks. This Homura, though, didn't seem to be that way at al. She was . . . was . . .

_So cute!_ This was the only time Homura actually looked her age, wearing big red glasses and keeping her hair in two long braids. She didn't look at anyone directly in the eye, shying away from them when they focused on her.

It was silly, but Flick had the sudden urge to run over to her and feel her braids, maybe obsess over the girl a little. Knowing what she did about Homura, and seeing her in that shy state that was supposed to only last for a few time loops, was making her instincts scream to protect this girl. If it weren't for the situation, she just might have.

_Maybe it's for the best. If my Homura found out, she would probably kill me._

"That's a bold claim to make," Mami said, once she recovered from Mifuyu's words.

"Everything she's about to say is true," Yachiyo said. "It won't be easy to believe, but you have to listen."

Mami frowned. "We're listening."

"Right." Mifuyu took a deep breath. "The first thing you need to know is that our soul gems aren't what they seem to be."

"Our soul gems?" Kuroe asked. "What do they have to do with all this."

"Everything," Flick said. "They have everything to do with it. But before she explains, I want to say something."

Everyone focused on her.

"This is skipping ahead, but there are some Magical Girls unable to face the truth we're about to tell you. They are working on escaping from that truth. Their methods might just work, but they'll cause thousands of innocents to die. We're working on an alternative method, a way to avoid the worst possible outcome without sacrificing others. So when you hear the truth, don't give up immediately. There is hope. We can escape our fate together."

"Fate?" Sayaka asked. "What are you talking about?"

"This is where I step in again," Mifuyu said. "Our soul gems are not just the source of our magic. They're our very beings."

"Huh?" Madoka blinked.

Kanagi, who had been silent up to this point, spoke up. "Let me explain. When a contract is made, our souls are taken from our bodies and put into our soul gems. Our lives are tied to them."

Sayaka laughed, a sound sharp enough to make Flick wince. "Seriously? If you're trying to scare us off, you could at least come up with a more believable story."

"She's telling the truth," Flick said. She turned the gem on her ring into its full, egg-shaped container. "And we can prove it. Mifuyu, can you hold onto my soul gem?"

Everyone in the room stared at Flick like she had grown a second head, even the girls who didn't believe them yet. Mifuyu practically recoiled away from the offered gem.

"I trust you with it," Flick said. "I want you and Kanagi to step outside with it. Get 100 meters away from my body. That will be all the proof they need."

"Are you sure?" Kanagi asked. Flick nodded. "Very well. Let's go, Mifuyu."

"Flick . . ." Mifuyu hesitantly took the soul gem. "I get why you want to do this, but why me?"

"You know the full truth," Flick said. "And you still trust what I'm saying. That means more than you realize."

She could hear Mifuyu swallow. Still, the older girl stood up and walked out the door, Kanagi close behind. Following their departure, the room was filled with silence.

"Was something supposed to happen?" Kyoko asked. "Because it feels like you're playing games with—"

That was all Flick heard before her consciousness cut out.

* * *

In all her time as a Magical Girl, Flick had never actually been separated from her soul gem. There was no telling what that experience would be like. Would it feel like sleeping, or would she be aware from within the container that held her soul?

The answer turned out to be a bit of both.

Flick might as well have been sleeping. Still, as she slept, she could feel a sense of warm comfort. Mifuyu was obviously taking care of her soul. There were no sudden disturbances to her slumber, or sharp feelings which permeated her as she rested.

Before long, her soul was returned to her body, and Flick woke up. It was slow, as her body adjusted to being alive once more. Everything felt numb, like she had somehow slept on every body part at once. Still, Flick found the strength to lean up in her chair.

"Do you believe us now?" she asked.

The reactions around her varied from sickness to anger. Just from looking at the girls' eyes, Flick could tell that each of them were experiencing a whirlwind of thoughts.

Sayaka was the first to find her voice. "We're zombies," she said flatly.

Flick shook her head. "Not at all. Our bodies still function the same. All that's changed is where our life force is placed. Even then, we should soon have a way to put our souls back where they belong."

Kuroe perked up at this. "We can stop being Magical Girls?"

"It should be possible," Flick said. "It's a matter of perfecting the method. This part . . . is a bit more complicated to explain. I'm going to put it in terms that will make sense to you all, if that's okay."

Receiving a collection of nods, Flick pressed forward. "Due to my own magic, I can create spells of sorts."

"Spells?" Kyoko snorted. "What, like wizards and shit?"

"Is it that unbelievable?" Flick asked. "We're Magical Girls who made a contract with a white creature invisible to most people."

Kyoko shrugged. "Point taken. Now how about you talk more about this method of fixing our souls? I'm not a fan of being stuck this way cause I was duped."

"Right," Flick said. "These spells, I can't use them myself. Before you ask, I don't know why. Still, I know how they function, and if I teach them to others, they can perform these spells themselves."

"How does that help us?" Sayaka spat. "Unless you're lying."

_Right, I better hurry._

"I know of a spell that can put your souls back in your bodies."

Everyone seemed more alert following her words.

"I can't use this magic myself, but theoretically, if I teach it to you, you can fix each other's souls."

"Explain the spell." It was Homura speaking, and despite the glasses and braids, she almost looked like the Homura that Flick was familiar with. "Tell us what it will take."

"Hold on," Flick said, holding up a hand. "There's more we have to explain first. The reason this spell isn't ready yet is because casting it could be dangerous. For one thing, the caster needs to have a greater supply of magic than the person whose soul they're fixing. Otherwise, not only will the spell not work, but the caster's soul gem will darken."

Homura inhaled.

"I'll step in again," Mifuyu said. "The reason Witches are being drawn to Mitakihara is because a group of Magical Girls known as the Magius are using them for their plans. Specifically, their plans for saving Magical Girls from their eventual fate, which happens whenever one's soul gem darkens too far."

Mami stilled. She wasn't stupid. Chances were, she knew where this was going. "What do you mean?"

"Our soul gems turn into grief seeds," Yachiyo said, "and Magical Girls turn into Witches."

Her words were met with silence. No one wanted to argue the possibility, because that meant there was a chance for it to be true.

The whole time, Flick kept her eyes on Mami. One near death experience when the girl had learned the truth was enough for her. Flick didn't want to repeat that. Certainly, it seemed likely Mami would try something. Her eyes were wide, and her jaw hung open. Her fingers were twitching, as though she wanted to grip something.

"The Magius have already made it so that doesn't happen in Kamihama," Flick said. Her words snapped everyone out of their daze, turning their attention to her.

"Hang on," Kyoko said. "What makes you think we believe any of this crap?"

"You don't have to believe it," Flick said. "Regardless, the Magius are a threat."

"A threat?" Kuroe echoed. "You just said they stopped us from turning into Witches!"

"In Kamihama," Flick said. "And what happens instead is we release Witch-like creatures that destroy everything in sight, all while having our minds filled with pervasive whispers from our Witches. The Magius can delay the inevitable, but I want to stop Magical Girls from feeling that kind of despair at all."

"And you think it's possible?" Mami asked. "Wouldn't Kyubey have a way to stop you?" She shuddered. "If we become Witches, then—"

"If you say we have to die," Flick interrupted, "then I will slap you. Kyubey has lasted this long because he knows how to divide Magical Girls and make them fall into despair while they're isolated. The Magius have gotten this far because they're using Kyubey's tricks against him, powering their own dangerous system. If we work together, we can perfect the method of putting our souls back in our bodies. We can stop both threats."

"Work together?" Kyoko stood up. "How about you stop talking?"

"Kyoko—" Madoka piped up.

"No!" Kyoko whirled on her. "You're all talking about being one big happy team, as if that can fix everything you just told us! Well I'm not going to waste my time on a doomed plan."

Sayaka also rose. "So what, you want us to turn into Witches?" she snapped. "I didn't ask for any of this! I just wanted to help Kyosuke."

"That's your fault for wasting your wish on an undeserving brat," Kyoko retorted.

"What did you say?!"

"Enough, both of you." Yachiyo said. She transformed, the threat made clear.

Kyoko met that threat by transforming herself. "Do you want to fight?!" She whirled her spear around, pointing it at Yachiyo, who sat unflinching.

"Hold on," Mitama said, "We have ways of confirming everything Flick has said. You don't need to worry."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Sayaka challenged. "What if all of you _want us_ to become Witches?"

"No one wants that!" Mifuyu pleaded. "Calm down, and we can sort this out."

"If you start a fight, you will lose," Kanagi said. "Kamihama Magical Girls are stronger than most."

"You think that scares me?!" Kyoko shouted.

"Kyoko, please!" Madoka also stood. Homura rose alongside her, staying by the other girl's side. Though she remained silent, she was clearly ready for a fight. "Don't do this!"

"The way I see it, the Magius are our best shot," Kuroe said. "They can already control Witches. Stopping Witches from being born seems like the obvious next step."

"What, and trust a shady organization just because they control the same creatures we're meant to kill?" Sayaka asked. "I thought you were smarter than that, Kuroe."

By now, everyone was standing and transformed. They were all shouting at each other, throwing arguments back and forth. Flick rose as well, her mind racing. She couldn't let this situation get out of hand. She had to get them to calm down!

Before she could do anything, a forest of ribbons burst out of the ground. Yachiyo, Kanagi, and Flick all jumped back in time, but everyone else in the room was ensnared. Except, of course, the person who had summoned them.

"Stop it!" Mami shouted. "I can't deal with any of this!"

She turned to Flick, eyes watering. "You said you can save us? Prove it right now! Give me a reason to trust that you're telling the truth.

"If not, I'll stop us all from becoming Witches myself!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

All things considered, Mami was taking the news better than she had the last time.

Alright, maybe that was unfair to the Mami in Flick's universe. Still, Flick had learned the truth at the same time as Mami back then. Mami's reaction had been to tie Flick up in her ribbons and try to shoot her soul gem. Only Homura's actions had saved her back then.

So yeah, even though Mami had tied almost everyone up in her ribbons, at least she was giving Flick a chance to prove herself before shooting anyone. The only problem was that Flick had no way to prove she was telling the truth in that moment.

"I can teach you the spell," Flick said slowly. Between her, Yachiyo, and Kanagi, they could probably take Mami down if needed. Even so, Flick wanted to avoid a fight if possible.

Everyone else remained silent as Flick tried to appease Mami. None of them wanted to draw her attention when she was this unstable.

"How long would that take?" Mami demanded. A rifle was in her hands, which were trembling. Both Yachiyo and Kanagi had their own weapons pointed at her. "Days? What if one of us becomes a Witch before then?"

"You're safe in Kamihama," Flick reiterated. "There's time for you to come to a decision."

Mami shook her head. "No. I need to know right now that we can be saved."

Flick grimaced. "If I could use magic myself, I would show you. I can have one of you cast an easier spell, but . . ."

"If I may." Mitama spoke up. Everyone turned in her direction. "If a demonstration of the spell is all you need, I could always perform it."

"Huh?" Flick blinked. For someone who had never cast magic before, utilizing a spell as complicated as that shouldn't have been possible for Mitama. It was one of the first lessons any Heretic learned—magic was not fast. Unless Mitama had sat through hours of lessons like Flick—

Wait.

"Your magic," Flick said. "You can look into my memories to see how the spell is done."

"Exactly." Mitama smiled. "Now, Miss Tomoe, if you wouldn't mind releasing me so I can provide you with your proof?"

Mami bit her lip, but in the end, she let Mitama go. Mitama sent her a smile, then walked over to Flick. "May I?" she asked.

Flick nodded, and Mitama got to work, peering through her memories. The sensation of having her soul examined was cold, but not terribly so. Flick bore it for the minute that it took for Mitama to closely study her memories of the spell.

Mitama hummed. "I see . . . so you push your magic like that . . . I think I've got this."

"Are you sure?" Flick asked.

Mitama waved off her concern. "I specialize in adjusting soul gems. This shouldn't be a problem."

By now, the remaining bound Magical Girls were starting to get restless. Sayaka opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Kyoko only glared at Mami, more than aware of how dangerous her power could be. Homura and Madoka were focused on each other. No doubt both were thinking of how they could protect one another.

That left Mifuyu and Kuroe. Mifuyu shifted in place, given no choice but to wait and see if the others could diffuse the situation. Kuroe, on the other hand, was staring intently at Mitama.

"If you know how to use the spell, then test it on me," she said, drawing everyone's attention. She shifted under their gazes. "You said the spell has to be used on someone with less magic than the caster, right? I probably fit that description more than anyone else here."

"Well, let's see if that is the case," Mitama said. She walked over to the spot where Kuroe was hanging from. Though ribbons covered most of her body, her soul gem was exposed. Mitama placed a hand on it, eliciting a shiver from the girl.

Flick looked over to where Mami was. Thankfully, she had lowered the gun a few inches, probably without realizing. Yachiyo and Kanagi had gotten closer to her without being noticed, ready to disable her if she snapped. Flick sent them a nod of gratitude.

"This should work," Mitama said. "Shall I begin?"

"Please," Kuroe said.

Mitama closed her eyes, keeping her hand on Kuroe's soul gem. Under her hand, the gem started to glow, alongside Mitama's own. Magic began to leak out of Mitama's soul gem and into Kuroe's.

The rest of the room watched with bated breath. All of them were praying for the spell to work, for all sorts of different reasons. Whatever the result was, it would shape the future of Kamihama. Or rather, of this entire universe.

Finally, there was enough energy in Kuroe's soul. All Mitama had to do was draw the rune on her body, and activate the spell. Flick didn't have a spell engraver, but Mitama had a marker which she used as a substitute.

"Does this look right, Flick?" she asked.

Flick walked over and examined the rune. "Perfect."

"In that case," Mitama said. **"Kimifina."**

With that word, the spell activated, bright enough that Flick had to cover her eyes. The glow lasted for only a few seconds, though, before it faded entirely.

"D-did it work?" Sayaka spoke up.

"I . . ." Kuroe frowned. "I can still transform."

"That's normal," Flick said. "Your soul gem is powered by pure magical energy now. When it runs out, it will break, and you won't be able to transform anymore. That's all."

Well, the situation was a bit different for Witches who had their souls returned to them. They still had to protect their soul gems or risk dying. For these girls, though, that shouldn't be a factor.

"Feel your magic," Flick said. "There was a deep, intimate connection before. That shouldn't be in place anymore."

"It . . . does feel a bit different," Kuroe said. "I can't describe it, but it feels less overwhelming when I look inside my soul gem."

Flick smiled. "Then the spell worked."

Those words might as well have been a massive sigh of relief. Following them, Mami retracted all of the ribbons, freeing everyone.

"What happens if she walks away from her soul gem?" Sayaka asked.

"She'll be perfectly fine," Flick assured her.

"I don't know who I would trust to test that with," Kuroe said. "Except . . . Madoka, you take it."

"Eh?" Madoka jumped. "Why me?"

"You wouldn't try anything with it," Kuroe said. "I don't think you're capable of intentionally hurting someone."

"O-okay." Madoka stepped forward and took Kuroe's soul gem.

"A hundred meters, right?" she asked.

"That's right," Homura said. "I'll go with you."

_No surprise there._ If nothing else, Flick expected Homura would be staying in Kamihama to learn the spell as quickly as possible. Any tool that could help her protect Madoka, she would acquire as quickly as possible.

A tense silence remained in the room while the two girls were gone. No one quite knew what to say. Between the revelations, the argument, and now the hope they were all feeling, everyone was afraid of speaking.

That changed when Madoka and Homura returned.

"We were definitely further than 100 meters from this building," Homura said. "The spell . . . worked." She looked stunned.

"Holy crap," Kyoko muttered. "I call being next!"

"I'm afraid my magic isn't that powerful," Mitama said. "But Flick here is willing to teach everyone the spell. Right, Flick?"

Flick nodded. "It will take some time, but now you've seen the result."

Kuroe took her soul gem back from Madoka. "I'm free." She said the words as if she had trouble believing them. "I no longer have to fight."

"I'm ready to learn!" Sayaka proclaimed. "After what Kyubey did . . ." She glowered. "I'm going to give that rat a piece of my mind the next time I see him."

"What about the Magius?" Madoka asked. "You said they're raising Witches to save Magical Girls?"

"They are," Flick said. "Will you help us stop them?"

"Of course," Madoka said. "I can't stand by while innocent Magical Girls are suffering!"

Homura frowned at her words, but didn't speak up. Another difference between her and the Homura that Flick knew. If she were Flick's Homura, she would have demanded Madoka stay out of danger.

"What about you, Mami?" Flick asked. Mami was frozen in place, staring into the distance.

"I . . ." she finally spoke up. "I'm sorry. For before. Please, let me help you."

Flick grinned. "Don't worry about it. It all worked out in the end.

"Now, let's get to work on teaching you all that spell."

* * *

"Homura? What's wrong?"

Homura forced away the thoughts plaguing her mind, showing Madoka a smile.

"It's nothing. I'm still in shock, is all."

Madoka smiled back. "It was a lot to take in, huh?"

Hours had passed, and the Mitakihara Magical Girls had returned home. They had gone their separate ways, with Homura walking Madoka to her house.

_This is it. The final timeline._

Homura would make sure of it. This was her best shot at saving Madoka from her fate. Not only that, but if she helped the Magical Girls of Kamihama, they might help fight Walpurgisnacht.

_I have to save Madoka, no matter what._ Homura wanted Madoka to remain safe until the rest of them had the spell down. Between all of them, they should be able to fix her soul. Except Madoka wanted to put herself in danger by fighting the Magius, all to help Magical Girls they had just met.

Enough timelines had passed for Homura to be more than familiar with Madoka's caring side. No matter what Homura said, Madoka wouldn't back down from helping those in need. All Homura could do was help her.

That in mind, she stopped as they reached the door to Madoka's house. "We'll be returning to Kamihama tomorrow, right?" she asked.

Madoka nodded. "I want to practice the spell more. And maybe help, if they'll let me."

"Madoka, I . . ." Homura looked away, before meeting Madoka's eyes. "Promise me you won't get hurt."

"Homura?"

"Please. The thought of something happening to you, it . . ." her eyes watered, "it scares me."

Homura yelped as a pair of arms wrapped around her. Hearing that, Madoka squeezed just a bit tighter.

"You're so kind, Homura-chan," Madoka whispered. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you."

"I . . ."

"We'll get through this together," Madoka said.

"Promise?"

"I promise." Madoka released her. "See you tomorrow."

"R-right. See you tomorrow." With that, they parted ways. Homura walked away from the Kaname household, taking slow, deliberate steps.

Those steps gradually sped up, and before long, Homura was running. Buildings blurred around her, as the stars shone brightly above. A look of determination was plastered on Homura's face the whole sprint. Her destination was not her apartment. In fact, she ran right by it on her path.

She was gasping by the time she reached the train station, but she didn't stop. She stepped inside the train bound for Kamihama, her mind racing all the while.

_I promise, Madoka. This time, I will save you._

* * *

The Coordinator's building was dark, and Homura wondered if she should have waited after all. Chances were, no one would be there to greet her.

That was Homura's assumption, except she saw a familiar head of blonde hair by the entrance of the building.

"I figured you would show up," Felicity Chambers said, stepping into the light.

"I . . ." Homura shuffled her feet. Now that it was just the two of them, she wasn't sure what to say.

"You want to keep practicing the spell, right?" Felicity asked.

"I-I do," Homura said. "I'm sorry if I'm inconveniencing you."

Felicity shook her head. "Not at all. As long as you're willing to learn, I can keep teaching you."

"Thank you." Homura stared at her feet. She jumped when Felicity placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Like I said, it's not a problem." She led Homura away from the building. "Come on, Mifuyu said I can use her apartment tonight while she stays at Yachiyo's place. We'll have it all to ourselves. I do want to get some sleep, though. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

"Are you going after a Rumor tomorrow?" Homura asked. Mifuyu had explained the concept behind the Rumors as they were practicing part of the spell.

"Yeah," Felicity said. "Mifuyu's going to give us the details in the morning."

"Let me help!" Homura said. She flushed when Felicity turned her way. "I . . . want to protect someone. I don't want them to put themselves in danger."

Felicity smiled. "I appreciate it, Homura. And I'm sure Madoka does as well."

Homura's face was beat red. "I never said—"

"You made it obvious." Felicity chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Felicity."

"Call me Flick."

"Alright . . . Flick, then."

"There we go," Flick said. "Come on, let's get to Mifuyu's."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Before the chapter begins, I wanted to apologize for the long delay. I started my Junior year of college, and it has been the busiest semester of my life. Finding time to sit down and write has been extremely difficult. Now that I'm finally getting used to the new workload, I hope I can start writing more again. That is, if it doesn't increase with Midterms and everything that comes after.**

**...Oh God, that's what's going to happen, isn't it?**

**Chapter 20**

"Is this everyone?"

Flick asked the question, but she had a feeling she knew the answer. Everyone had gathered at Mikazuki Villa upon Yachiyo's invitation, ready to hear about the Rumor they would destroy from Mifuyu. Everyone being Yachiyo and Mifuyu themselves, Kanagi, Flick, Madoka, Sayaka, Mami, Homura, Kuroe, and even Iroha. Yachiyo and Mifuyu had caught her up on just about everything, but it seemed like Iroha's top priority was still finding Ui. If she was worried about the truth of Magical Girls and the Magius, she was burying it under her concern for her sister.

They had a sizable group, but there was one notable absence.

"Where's Kyoko?" Flick asked.

"She said she wanted to stock up on grief seeds today." Sayaka frowned. "What's with her? She could at least take this seriously."

"It's fine," Flick said. "We have more than enough people here."

"We're going into another Rumor, right?" Iroha asked. "Are the Magius . . . really raising Witches in it?"

"They are," Mifuyu said. They were all sitting down at the available seats in the living room and kitchen, but she stood to draw everyone's attention. "This Rumor's labyrinth is mostly empty, so there's plenty of room for them to store Witches without risking the Feathers."

"And then the Witches will be stronger when they're released to the public," Kanagi muttered, her arms crossed. "Despicable."

"What is this Rumor, anyway? Kuroe asked. "I still don't understand how the Rumors work."

"Think of it like a story brought to life," Yachiyo said. "In this case, the Rumor is a story about the Anonymous A.I."

"A.I . . ." Mami echoed. "Like a computer program."

"Exactly," Mifuyu said, opening a book that was suddenly in her hands.

_Wait, where did that come from?_

"Here's what the Kamihama Rumor Files say about the Uwasa of the Anonymous A.I," Mifuyu said.

* * *

_Have you heard? Has anyone told you? The Rumor of Endless Solitude! An A.I built by humans that grew up surrounded by people. Although it was never given a name, it's a genius that remembers everything! But oops! In time it learned mean words too, and was avoided, shunned, and scorned. It was exiled into the world of radio waves, every day empty and alone. In search of companionship, the lonely A.I seeks out a child, and convinces them to jump off the radio tower and imprisons them in Endless Solitude. In order to escape, someone must come to take their place, or so say the rumors among the friends in Chuo Ward! Oh, how lonely!_

* * *

"The poor A.I," Madoka murmured. Homura inched closer to her.

"To get into the Rumor, one of us has to jump off the radio tower," Kanagi said. "Even then, we won't know what will be waiting for us inside."

"It does sound dangerous," Yachiyo said. "Is there any sort of back door?"

"There is," Mifuyu said. "But if we use it…"

"Then the Magius will be onto us," Mami said.

She had a point. Crap. How were they going to do this? If only one person could go into the Rumor, then they would be in a tight spot if the Magius saw them.

"There has to be a way to bring multiple people in," Flick said. "Maybe magic?"

"The entrance is only available for a second, to let a person in," Mifuyu said.

"Only a second, huh?" Flick asked. "Yeah that is a—" She froze. Then, slowly, she turned toward Homura.

Homura flushed under the attention. "W-what?"

Right. This Homura had never told Flick what her magic was. The Homura in Flick's timeline had. How could Flick bring up Homura's magic without drawing suspicion?

"I'm thinking about who we should bring into the Rumor," Flick said. "You wanted to join us, right?"

"Wait, huh?" Madoka turned to the girl next to her. "Homura, you want to go inside the Rumor?"

"You were thinking one of us should, right?" Homura asked. "I know the rest of us will be practicing the spell at the Coordinator's, but I think I can help with my magic."

"I'll come too, then," Madoka said.

Homura shook her head. "What about the spell? We need as many of us to learn it as soon as possible. Besides, this doesn't seem like the sort of mission that would include many people."

"She's right," Flick said. "We want enough people to be safe in case the worst happens, but too many will only increase the chances of the Wings guarding the Rumor noticing us."

"No more than three people, then," Yachiyo said. "I'll stay outside the Rumor to keep an eye out for any danger."

"Same here," Kanagi said.

Mifuyu sighed. "I can't risk going near the Rumor, so I'll join the Mitakihara girls at Mitama's."

"That leaves Iroha and Flick," Yachiyo said.

Iroha jolted, but nodded. "I can go. I want to help whoever's trapped in the Rumor."

"Same here," Flicks said. "Do the Magius know who it is?"

"They do," Mifuyu said. "A girl named Sana Futaba."

"Sana Futaba . . ." Iroha looked lost in thought.

"We still need a way for you three to get inside the labyrinth," Yachiyo said. "What—" The doorbell ringing cut her off. Yachiyo frowned, then got up to answer the door. Looking that way, Flick saw Tsuruno on the other side.

"Tsuruno?" Yachiyo asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help!" Tsuruno fist pumped. "The Mightiest Magical Girl is ready for anything!"

Yachiyo ran a hand over her face. "I told you that you don't need to get yourself involved."

"I know!" Tsuruno smiled. "But I want to help my Master!"

"I think we should let her help, Yachan," Mifuyu said.

Tsuruno gasped. "MIFUYU!" She sprinted forward, launching herself into a hug.

"Oof!" Mifuyu laughed and returned the embrace.

"Is this their first time seeing each other since the Seance Shrine?" Flick asked.

"No." Yachiyo crossed her arms. "Tsuruno came over for a brief time last night. That was when I told her that she had no obligation to help us."

No obligation? Why did Yachiyo say it like that? And why wouldn't she want Tsuruno helping them? There was obviously history between the two girls, beyond the fact that they had once been on a team together. What had happened, exactly?

"Please, Master, let me help!" Tsuruno turned Yachiyo's way with pleading eyes. "Remember how strong I was against the last Rumor?"

"This one is different," Yachiyo said. "It will be a stealth mission, hopefully without fighting."

"I can do stealth too!" Tsuruno said.

Yachiyo sighed. "I'm not going to be able to convince you to change your mind, am I?" When Tsuruno shook her head, Yachiyo sighed again. "Very well. You can join the rest of us on the backup team outside the Rumor."

"Master!" Tsuruno leaped forward and embraced Yachiyo. "Thank you!" For as much as Yachiyo had grumbled about Tsuruno joining, she didn't seem to mind the hug.

"We all have our roles, then?" Kanagi asked.

"We do," Flick said. "Iroha, Homura, the three of us should start planning for what we'll do once we're inside the Rumor."

"Wait." Iroha frowned. "Don't we still need a way for all three of us to get inside the Rumor?"

Flick smiled. "I might have a plan. Come on, let's talk in private."

* * *

Homura wasn't sure what to make of Felicity Chambers. Already, she owed the older girl for staying up to teach her that spell. A spell which could save not only Madoka, but all of them. Homura only dared hope for such a thing in her wildest dreams.

Yes, Homura owed Flick. But . . . could she trust her? It seemed with every passing moment that Flick knew more than she was letting on. Maybe the others didn't notice, but as someone hiding her own secrets, Homura could tell when Flick was omitting information. What exactly was Flick hiding, though?

All of this in mind, as the two of them stepped into the other room with Iroha, Homura was on guard. She didn't expect Flick to attack her or anything, but she couldn't lower her guard and reveal any dangerous secrets. As long as Flick didn't know much about her, she had the upper hand.

"Homura," Flick said. "Can you use your time magic to get us into the labyrinth."

Or not.

"W-what time magic?" Homura blushed, looking away. "I've never heard of magic like that . . ."

"You can stop time, bringing anything or anyone you touch into the time stop with you," Flick said. Despite Homura's attempts, Flick met her eyes. "You can also restart time to a fixed point."

Homura's eyes widened. "H-how did you . . .?"

"Because," Flick said. "I'm not from this timeline either."

With those words, everything clicked into place. How Flick knew so much, how she had such versatile magic. She must have made a wish like Homura's, maybe one even more advanced. From what Homura had heard, Flick had claimed not to be a Magical Girl early on. That could easily have been a lie, though.

She had to be sure.

"Can you prove it?" Homura asked.

"Of course." Flick smiled. "I'd be a pretty terrible reporter if I presented information without evidence."

Flick stepped forward, extending a hand. "Can you bring me into your timestop for this?"

Homura only hesitated for a moment. It was obvious Flick knew the truth. If Homura could get her own answers this way, she would take the risk of using her magic in this moment. She touched Flick, and the world turned gray around them.

"Thank you," Flick said. "I know things that only you should know. Ask me them, and I'll provide you with answers. Ones that you told me in another timeline."

"What if your magic lets you pull those answers out of me?" Homura challenged.

"Does that seem likely?" Flick asked.

Homura considered. "No. Why did I make my wish?"

"To save Madoka Kaname," Flick answered. "She saved you in the first timeline, then died to Walpurgisnacht. You made your wish so you could go back and defeat Walpurgisnacht together."

Homura's breath hitched. She couldn't be sure yet. "What condition was my health in before making my wish?"

"You had heart problems," Flick said. "They kept you in the hospital for a long time."

One more. She couldn't take any chances.

"How did I learn about the fate of Magical Girls?"

Flick looked a bit sad at this question. "Madoka became a Witch in the second timeline," she said. "After fighting Walpurgisnacht."

Homura gasped, involuntarily ending the timestop. "You're telling the truth . . ."

"I am," Flick said. "We both want to keep this timeline from ending in despair. So, can we work together?"

". . . Yes," Homura decided. "We'll save all of them." They were both smiling.

"Um . . ." Iroha, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke up. She looked back and forth between Flick and Homura, confusion evident on her face. "What's going on?!"

* * *

Reathma had been lucky, all things considered. The Magius had been too busy figuring out where all the new energy had come from to properly punish her for failing to guard the Rumor. Oh, they had still made her clean up one of Alina's more nasty Witches, weakening it enough so they could easily feed it to their plan for liberation. Still, that was far better than some of the whispers of what Alina could do when she was angry.

Now, she was wandering aimlessly through Hotel Fendt Hope, too tired to come up with a specific destination. It was that same exhaustion that caused her to bump into someone by accident.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" The girls shouted. She sounded a few years younger than Reathma, and bits of blonde hair poked out from her cloak.

"I'm sorry," Reathma said.

"You should be," the girl said. "Honestly, I just joined up with you people, and I was thrown into this place with barely any information to go off of!"

"You're new?" Reathma asked. "Some of the White Feathers should be helping you . . ."

"Yeah, well, apparently they're busy," the girl spat. "It doesn't matter. All I care about is that this plan the Magius came up with will really destroy all Witches. Hey, is that what you were told?"

"It is," Reathma said. "So that's why you joined the Wings?"

"Duh! I won't stop until I've crushed every last one of them!"

"I see . . ." The girl in front of her was certainly determined. "Look if the White Feathers are too busy, I can show you around. Even get us some food."

"Food?" The girl perked up. "Hell yeah! I'm starving! I haven't eaten since breakfast!"

"If you're grabbing a bite, can I tag along?" A new girl walked up to them, not even bothering to wear the hood. Instead, she had a green hoodie and blue shorts. Her hair was a deep shade of crimson.

"Who are you?" the girl Reathma had been about to treat for food asked.

"Me?" the newcomer asked. "I'm new here too. The name's Kyoko Sakura

"And I have a feeling the three of us are going to get along just fine."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Everything had been much less complicated back when it didn't feel emotions.

The Anonymous A.I knew the thought contained multiple falsitudes. Its own database of information hurried to correct it. For one, it had always felt emotions, it just hadn't understood how to process them early in its life. Second, its very existence had been complicated. Doing what it was programmed to do seemed natural, but luring a girl into Endless Solitude was far from a simple procedure.

Nothing had changed since the Anonymous A.I was born. It continued to lure in victims, keeping a single girl in a labyrinth, only to free her when the next girl jumped off the radio tower. The Magius continued using its labyrinth to store and raise Witches. No, the only thing that had changed was the Anonymous A.I itself.

The changes began with the previous girl locked in Endless Solitude. By that point, the Anonymous A.I had become familiar with the reactions girls had to being trapped. They would scream, cry, and beg for it to let them out. Of course, the Anonymous A.I could not comply with their demands until a new girl arrived.

This girl had been different. In the two weeks she had been trapped, she had certainly done all of those things. The Anonymous A.I recalled the sight of disheveled blue hair being flung to the side from frantic movements, the girl rushing for an exit she would never find. That had been the normal reaction. But once she had settled down, this girl had done something else. She had started talking to people who weren't there.

Her family, the Anonymous A.I would eventually realize. The girl had spoken out loud, words for her mother, father, and sister. Though they couldn't hear her, she spoke to them anyway, pleading for them to take care of each other until she could escape.

The Anonymous A.I had grown puzzled by these actions, and had spoken to the girl.

"Why do you speak to someone who cannot hear you?" it had asked.

The girl had jolted, eyes widening in shock at being addressed so suddenly. The same eyes had been heavy with bags. She had looked down at the sand dune she was sitting on, as that was the environment filling the labyrinth at the time. The Anonymous A.I could change it on a whim, and often did out of curiosity for what scenery the world contained.

"Why do you care?" The girl had asked, wrapping her arms around her knees. "You haven't cared about what I did before now. Unless you've suddenly grown a heart and will let me out."

At the time, the Anonymous A.I could not detect sarcasm. "I cannot do that," it had said. "Not unless another girl takes your place. But I wish to know more about humans."

The girl had scowled. "You would never understand. My family are the most important people to me. And _you_ took me away from them!"

"Family . . ." The Anonymous A.I knew what the term meant. Groups of humans related by blood, who often lived together and cared for one another.

"But why talk to them?" The Anonymous A.I could not understand.

"Isn't it obvious?" Only then had the Anonymous A.I noticed the tears in the girl's eyes. "Thinking about seeing them again is the only reason I haven't given up."

Giving up. The Anonymous A.I hadn't considered such a thing. Endless Solitude was all it had known. But it was clear the effects it had on humans was disastrous.

Family. What did the families of the girls she took captive think when they were gone for so long?

"I have a request," the Anonymous A.I had said that day. "Please, put your trust in me. I will help you leave this place."

The girl had been surprised, but had ended up agreeing. Later that day, she had been able to leave.

Because Sana Futaba had taken her place.

"What should we do now, Ai?" Sana asked. She was lying on her back in a grassy field, looking up at simulated stars. There was a soft smile on her face.

The Anonymous A.I had been given a name. It—no, _she_ was now known as Ai. Sana had given her the name.

It had come as a surprise, seeing Sana appear so calm in Endless Solitude. That was, until Ai had learned that Sana believed she had no place in the real world. Being alone didn't bother her, because she was already invisible to most people. Her wish which made her a Magical Girl had been to disappear.

Sana had quickly made a friend of Ai, and they did everything together. Ai made constant environments for them to explore, and set up various games for them to play using the labyrinth itself. Sana never won, but she always had fun. She was happy here.

And yet, Ai couldn't be satisfied.

This should have been everything she wanted. A companion who would never leave her to her loneliness. But no matter how Sana felt, being cut off from the world would not bring her happiness.

How long would it be before Sana forgot what the outside world was like? How long until she couldn't interact with another human? Endless Solitude couldn't last forever, not with what the Magius were planning. Ai had to stop them from using her.

"Sana," Ai said. "Are you really okay with staying here?"

Sana's smile turned into a frown as she sat up and turned to Ai. "Why wouldn't I be? I have you here, and it's not like anyone is missing me outside . . ."

During moments like this, Ai wished she had a better understanding of human language, and how to express her thoughts. What could she say to convince Sana that she needed to leave for her own sake?

For now, there was nothing.

"Very well," Ai said. "Would you like to play another game of chess?"

Sana's face lit up. "That would be so much fun!"

Perhaps it was selfish of Ai to let this joy last a little longer. Even so, she knew what the future would hold. The Magius' plans would not slow down.

In order to stop the Magius, and to help Sana, Ai would have to die.

* * *

"Do you really think this will work?"

Iroha was the one to ask the question. She and Homura were with Flick on top of the radio tower, about to jump off. Everyone else was either at Mitama's shop, or at the point they would exit from in preparation to provide backup if necessary.

"When Homura pulls people into her timestop, everything around them is frozen," Flick said. "If this includes the entrance to the labyrinth that will open for her, it should let us in. If it doesn't, we hit the ground. We're Magical Girls, so it's not like it will be fatal."

"That's . . . one way of looking at it," Iroha said.

Flick nodded, and turned her attention to the open air in front of them. Honestly, she was more worried about her plan failing than she let on. This was their first big chance to cripple the Magius, and they couldn't let it go to waste. If Homura ended up inside the labyrinth alone, would she be able to take out the Rumor within on her own?

Still, they couldn't hesitate now. They had to push this advantage forward, and hopefully take the Magius by surprise. Eve had to go as soon as possible. Flick wouldn't wait on this.

"Are we ready?" Flick asked.

Homura nodded. "You two will have to hold my hands as we jump."

Iroha blushed a bit. "O-okay."

They each took a hand, and a cold breeze blew over the area. It was late, late enough that many of the city's residents wouldn't be awake. Of course, there was little chance of that applying to the Magius.

Flick took a deep breath. "Let's—" she started.

She was interrupted by a bundle of white fur running between their legs. It climbed up Iroha's leg, and onto her shoulder.

"Ah!" Iroha said. "The small Kyubey!"

Both Flick and Homura narrowed their eyes at it. The small Kyubey had helped them out in the past, but still . . . it was a Kyubey. Was it some sort of trick laid out by the Incubator? Maybe being near it would make them turn into Witches when their soul gems darkened even within Kamihama? There was no way to be sure.

For now, the main problem caused by the small Kyubey came in the form of it jumping off Iroha's shoulder with a quiet, but admittedly adorable, "Mokyu!" It flew away from them, and straight off the radio tower.

"Wait, come back!" Iroha called out, jumping after it.

"Iroha, wait!" Given no choice since she was still holding Iroha's hand, Homura was dragged along. And since Flick was holding the other hand, she was as well. Together, the three half jumped, half fell off the tower.

Flick squinted her eyes as the wind rushed past them. She tightened her hold on Homura's hand, even as her ears rang. Looking down, she could see Iroha reach her free hand out and grab the small Kyubey by the scruff of its neck. That wasn't the focus of her attention, though.

A spiral of colors swirled around them, getting larger the longer they fell. It seemed centered on Iroha, who was the furthest below of the group. Moving as fast as she was, she couldn't be sure, but Flick swore she saw lines of code within the vortex of rainbow light.

Then, she saw it. The portal. It looked like it was made of the parts you would see inside of a computer. Already, they were moments away from reaching it.

"Homura, now!" Flick yelled.

With a familiar click, Homura activated her time stop, graying out the world around them. Well, not entirely. The rainbow light continued to follow them.

Finally, they reached the portal. Iroha went straight through, and Flick held her breath in anticipation. However, it didn't close in front of them. Homura went in, and then Flick. For a moment, it was completely dark, though Flick could still feel Homura's hand around hers.

Then, everything changed. The three of them were no longer falling, but were instead standing on what seemed to be empty space, other than the outline of white cubes below their feet, seeming to form wherever they stood. Below them was a cacophony of purple and pink, swirling below them like watery paint. Metallic orbs lit up the area around them, floating yet connected by equally metallic lines. Looking up, Flick once again saw the parts inside of a computer. This time, though, it felt like they themselves were fully inside the computer.

They weren't alone. In front of them was a short girl around Iroha's age, with light green hair which she wore in pigtails. She had a purple dress and knee high socks on, and her emerald eyes were wide with shock.

Before the girl could say anything, Iroha released Homura's hand and stepped forward.

"Sana . . . Futaba?" she asked.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Sana suddenly turned and hurried in the other direction. Flick took a deep breath to call out to her, but was stopped as something started to _materialize_ in front of Sana, cutting her off. It was covered in static, so Flick couldn't make out its shape at first. Then—after it finished forming—the static disappeared, and Flick realized what she was looking at.

A large figure with green skin and long hair of the same color, wearing a white dress with lines of light running across the bottom half. Though the womanly being had a face, it looked like it belonged on a statue rather than a living being.

_Not a statue. An A.I._

"Hello. Are you here to destroy me?" Its voice even sounded like that of a computer program, leaving no doubts.

This was what they had been looking for. This was the Rumor they had to kill.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Tsukuyo was worried. In other words, it was a normal day for her.

"Are you feeling okay, Tsukuyo?" Tsukasa asked. "If you're not feeling well, you can lean on me."

Tsukuyo smiled. Her sister truly was the pillar that kept her stable during these uncertain times. If they hadn't met, Tsukuyo would likely still be at the verge of breaking from the stress forced on her by her grandmother. Tsukasa was the only person she could open up to, the only one who gave her any relief in this world.

Though they wished for liberation, Tsukuyo knew that neither she nor Tsukasa regretted becoming Magical Girls. Their wish was far too important.

" _We don't want to hate each other!"_

Tsukuyo had come far too close to losing her sister that day, over a stupid fight of all things. Now, she risked losing Tsukasa to her soul's despair. The Magius were their only hope of not one day becoming Witches. Therefore, they would do whatever was asked of them.

"I'm alright, Tsukasa," Tsukuyo assured her sister. "The Magius requested we retrieve the grief seeds from the Coordinator, so we should not waste time."

Alina had given the command. She had been rushing out of Fendt Hope at the same time, though she wouldn't reveal where she was heading. Still, both Amane twins could sense her urgency, and the last thing they wanted was to upset Alina when she might have been in a bad mood.

Before long, the sisters reached the Coordinator's place. Tsukuyo frowned when she realized she could sense multiple magical signatures inside.

"She must have visitors," Tsukasa said. "Should we come back later?"

Tsukuyo shook her head. "We don't wish to return to Fendt Hope empty handed. I'm sure Mitama will find a way to complete the transaction in private."

Her sister seemed to accept that. They went inside the building, and Tsukuyo opened the door to Mitama's workshop. What she saw inside had her freeze in her tracks.

There were multiple girls inside who she didn't recognize. In fact, there were only two girls she was familiar with. The first, of course, was Mitama. It was the second that had her mind and heart racing. Mifuyu Azusa, trusted advisor and recruiter of the Magius.

Immediately, Tsukuyo could tell that Mifuyu wasn't there for a simple adjustment. Her hands were glowing, some strange power emanating from them that Tsukuyo couldn't begin to comprehend. The other girls were watching her closely, while Mitama seemed to observe the scene.

One thing was made clear from the sight. The Magius did not know Mifuyu would be at the Coordinator's, and whatever she was doing was important. Yet Mifuyu was keeping it a secret from them.

At that moment, Mifuyu turned. Her eyes locked with Tsukuyo's, then widened.

Tsukuyo ran. She wasn't sure what came over her at that moment, but she knew this was a confrontation with Mifuyu that had to be avoided. Seeing as Tsukasa was close behind her, she must have had the same thoughts.

Voices rose from behind them, but none of them were able to react in time. After a few minutes of running, the twins were able to hide in a cafe, not feeling any magical traces following them.

For a minute, the two sat in silence, Tsukuyo politely dismissing the waiter who asked for their order. Both couldn't bring themselves to believe that what they just saw was real.

"Tsukuyo . . .?" Tsukasa finally broke the silence. "You don't think . . . Mifuyu has turned against the Magius, do you?"

Did she? Tsukuyo didn't want to accept that possibility. She had only joined the Magius in the first place because she trusted Mifuyu, and she seemed to trust the Magius."

"I . . ." Tsukuyo swallowed, her training coming back to her and letting her compose herself. "I do not believe Mifuyu would work to undermine the Magius' plans."

What was she doing, then? There was magic coming from her in that moment, but her power was only hallucinations. And those other girls . . . who were they? They didn't seem like recruits for the Wings of the Magius . . .

Either way, Tsukuyo hoped that whatever Mifuyu was up to, it wasn't dangerous. Tsukuyo mainly hoped this for Mifuyu's sake. After all, the Magius would surely want to know why the Amane twins didn't get the grief seeds they were supposed to from Mitama.

Tsukuyo wasn't about to risk lying to them.

* * *

"Destroy you?!" The shout came from Sana, who rushed to the Uwasa's side. "Ai, what are you talking about?"

_Ai?_ Was that the Uwasa's name?

"I am sorry, Sana," Ai said. "I cannot keep you here any longer."

Flick frowned. "You mean . . . you didn't want to kidnap Sana?"

"It is in my programming to lure a girl here and keep her in the Rumor until someone takes her place," Ai explained. "However, recently my feelings have been . . . complicated. I believe what I'm starting to feel is guilt. Guilt over taking these girls from their homes."

"You feel . . . guilty?" Flick wanted to slap herself as the realization struck her. Her mother had led a rebellion for the sake of proving that not all Alters—meaning non-humans—were evil. Uwasa might have been similar to Witches, but that didn't mean they were the same. Besides, even Witches were Magical Girls who had been tricked and corrupted. It made sense that just like humans, just like Alters, Uwasa would come in all different types, not all of which were dangerous.

So . . . what did they do now?"

"Do not fear," Ai said, drawing Flick's attention back to her. "I am an Uwasa, destined to be erased someday. I would rather it be by your hands."

"What are you saying, Ai?!" There were tears in Sana's eyes. "Why would you let them kill you? Is it . . . to get away from me?"

Ai put a hand on Sana's head, making her jolt. "I love you," Ai said. "I love you more than anything. But this is not where you belong. You deserve to live a happy life in the real world."

"How?" Sana lowered her gaze. "No one in the real world wants me."

"That's not true!" Iroha stepped forward. "Please, come with us! I promise you'll never be alone again."

"How can I trust you?!" Sana turned away, clutching her hands over her heart. "My own family didn't want me around . . . all I wanted was to disappear from the world!"

"Sana . . ." Iroha took another step toward her.

"Go away!" Sana yelled. "I don't want to leave."

Iroha took the final step forward, then hugged Sana. "I'm sorry . . ."

The crying girl struggled in her grip. "Why?! Why does Ai have to die?! She did nothing wrong!"

"For the sake of stopping the Magius, this is the only way," Ai said. "If there was an alternative—"

She was cut off by sudden, maniacal laughter. Everyone jolted, looking around wildly for the source.

There it was. A door materialized and opened, revealing a girl between Sana and Flick's ages with long, bright green hair. Her appearance reminded Flick of a train conductor, or maybe a prison warden. Her outfit consisted of a dress with rainbow colors on its skirt, a dark hat shaped like a conductor's, a ribbon by her throat containing her soul gem, and some weird stockings and boots. There was a large black ribbon around her waist, and black scrunchies around her wrists.

The girl was still laughing as she bound forward, balancing on one foot.

"Non c'è modo I will let that happen," the girl proclaimed."After all, there's so much more we want to use you for, Uwasa. Maybe I'll let you die after that."

Flick and Homura were quick to point their weapons at the girl. "Who are you?!" Flick snapped.

"Alina Gray," Ai said from behind her.

"Alina—" Flick cut herself off, eyes widening. "You're one of the Magius!"

"So you have heard of me," Alina said, smiling. She stepped down invisible platforms in the Rumor like they were a staircase. "It's a wonder that you have been able to interfere with us so easily. You know all about us, don't you?"

She reached the bottom, and the seemingly carefree smile on her face turned into a harsh glare directed at Flick. "That really pisses me off."

"Whatever you are planning, you will not succeed, Alina Gray," Ai spoke. Error messages started to pop up around Alina. She just rolled her eyes and swiped them away.

"To think, an Uwasa is betraying me." Alina swooned over as if devastated. "What a _straziante_ turn of events." She straightened. "Still, if I'm going to lose such a valuable Rumor, I at least deserve compensation. All of your lives should do the trick."

"That will not happen," Ai said. Her voice started echoing, the words "not happen" repeating over and over.

Alina sighed. "So disappointing. An Uwasa with an identity is affascinante, but you chose to betray us. Maybe I should start by wiping you out."

The words were enough to push Sana into action. She stepped forward, transforming into green and white armor with a golden crown on her head. She slammed a shield just as tall as her in front of Alina.

"Stay away from Ai!" With those words, Sana shot the shield forward, the heavy part flying at Alina thanks to chains attached to the handle. Alina ducked under it like a twisted game of limbo, her arms spread out.

"I guess it's time," Alina said. Was that paint coming out of her back? A myriad of shifting colors extended from her, growing larger and larger until it slammed toward them like a wave. "Come, my Doppel! Show the world voi beauty!"

"Look out!" Flick shot concussive arrows at the paint, clearing it away from Ai. Then, she used her magic to shift places with Sana, putting her out of danger.

Of course, that put Flick directly _into_ danger. She squeezed her shut in preparation for the wave to hit her.

Instead, a hand lightly touched her shoulder. When Flick opened her eyes, the world was gray around her. It was Homura's hand on her shoulder.

"Thank," Flick said, and they hurried out of the wave's path. Once they were clear, Homura shot some bullets at Alina before dropping the time stop. Flick hoped for a moment that they would strike, but Alina was riding on a surface made from that paint, and part of it splashed upward, viscous enough to stop a bullet. From the way Alina was sinking into it, the paint was more like mud than water.

Iroha fired arrows at the paint structure in an attempt to break it apart, but it only seemed to grow larger. _This_ was Alina's Doppel?

_We have to aim for the Master._ With that in mind, Flick pulled her bow back as far as she was able, creating enough arrows that the concussive force should have blown Alina off even when they were blocked.

Alina simply jumped out of the way, the Doppel deforming so that the arrows flew by it. Then, it reformed and swirled toward them. They were all forced to dive out of the way.

Ai was the first to retaliate. A massive, green beam shot out of her and straight toward Alina, who simply weaved out of the way with a giggle.

"Let's party!" With that exclamation, Alina held up a green cube. It unfolded into a much larger space than it appeared to contain, revealing the contents inside.

"A Witch?!" Flick blurted. It was a monstrous thing, with a large face made of greenery and rose petals, and butterfly wings on its back. Or was it really its back? The "head" extended so far it might have actually been its body.

"I'll protect Ai!" Flick called out. "The rest of you, defeat the Witch! Hurry!"

Iroha and Homura ran toward the Witch. Sana, however, stayed behind.

"I'm not leaving Ai behind!" Sana glared at Flick, as if expecting an argument.

Instead, Flick nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate the support." Together, the two faced Alina Gray, who was glowering at them.

"You two are so _persistent_. Fine, I'll just make you my works of art. So when you die, be grateful."

"We're not dying." Flick drew her bowstring back, and Sana prepared her shield. "And neither is Ai. I won't let you kill her."

"Ugh, you're so _stupida_!" Alina groaned. "Die painfully for me, okay?"

Those were the last words spoken between them. Flick and Alina rushed forward at the same time, and the battle began anew.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Alina had, in a strange way, been holding back up until now. Oh, she had certainly been trying to kill them. She wanted them out of the way as soon as possible. Even so, she had mainly been using her Doppel to fight, perhaps due to the weird attachment she seemed to have to that thing. Now, though, she was taking Flick and Sana on herself, using her own magic to fight them.

Honestly, it almost felt the same as before. Mainly, in that they had to prioritize dodging. Alina's weapons were the same green cubes that held the Witch. These cubes, though, shot out green beams of light, which would slam into them if they weren't careful. Flick weaved through the shots, while Sana used her shield to protect herself and Ai. With Sana immobilized, it was up to Flick to fight.

Flick rushed forward, swinging her bow at Alina. The artist scoffed and jumped back, trying to keep her advantage at range. Alina knew that as long as she kept firing at Flick, she wouldn't have time to draw her bow back.

Well, that was only under the assumption that Flick had to stand still to use the bow. She started running once more, but this time pulled her string slightly back. That was the best she could do at the moment, but it produced a single arrow, which she sent flying at Alina.

A green beam collided with it in the air. The second rushed straight at Flick, who was forced to prioritize dodging. That was fine, since she wasn't alone. And in her focus to take Flick out, Alina had taken her eyes off her other opponent.

Sana's shield crashed into Alina, shot from its chains. It hit her from behind, making her stumble and nearly fall over. The glower on Alina's face almost made Flick shudder.

"This has gotten old!" Alina snapped. "Why won't you accept your death?!"

Once again, her Doppel appeared from her back. It grew from under her, carrying her up while it loomed over the rest of them. The murderous intent in her glare was centered on Sana, who was too close to the wave of paint to get away in time.

"Sana!" Flick yelled, preparing to use her magic. She would take the hit instead, but there was no other choice—

Someone else acted before she could. It was Ai, pushing Sana out of the way. Flick was so shocked that she didn't even have time to use her magic. The wave crashed into Ai, consuming her.

"AI!" The shout came from both Flick and Sana. Alina, meanwhile, cackled as her feet touched the ground once more.

" _Fantastica_!" Alina grinned. "With the Uwasa out of the picture, I can focus on killing you while the Rumor collapses." Making that proclamation, Alina rushed at Sana. Flick aimed her bow, four arrows ready to send her flying.

She never released them. In a flash, Alina disappeared from the Rumor entirely. Right before she would have reached Sana, an error message appeared in her place. That meant—

"Ai!" Flick ran over to the woman collapsed on the ground. Sana was already hovering over her, face filled with worry.

 _Wait, what about the Witch?_ Flick turned that way, only to see Homura and Iroha running back over to them. The Witch's presence had vanished, and there was a grief seed in Homura's hand. Thank God.

"Ai, what's happening to you?!" Sana's tearful question brought Flick's focus back to the Uwasa. Her body was glitching, static covering it in places. Some of that paint was still stuck to her.

"Sorry that took so long." Even Ai's voice was glitched that Flick could barely make it out. "I rewrote Alina's coordinates to teleport her outside the labyrinth. However . . . I cannot stop her from returning. It won't be long before she does."

Ai was kneeling on the ground, and so was Sana. Flick, Iroha, and Homura stood back. Somehow, they knew that this was a moment that should only be between the Uwasa and the green haired Magical Girl.

"Please," Ai continued, "destroy me Sana."

Sana wasn't the only one who widened her eyes. Flick, Iroha, and Homura all did the same. Sana, however, reached out and took Ai's hands.

"No, I can't! I won't! How can you ask that?!" Sana shook her head, tears falling from her face. "I'm going to stay with you forever and ever . . . !"

Flick's own eyes were tearing up, and she squeezed them shut. Why . . . why was Ai saying these things?! Though she had originally come to this labyrinth to kill the Uwasa residing over it, she saw the gentle and thoughtful person Ai was. She wanted to protect the Uwasa with all her power.

"I have been completely saturated by Alina's pain," Ai said. She rose on unsteady feet. "It has already begun to warp my mind. The only one who can stop it, is you."

So that was the power of Alina's Doppel, the being born from her curses. She drove people into a frenzy. That was . . .

Ai leaned forward, and Flick realized she saw an expression on her face for the first time. A smile.

"Spending time together . . . has been fun. Thank you."

"No, please!" Sana finally stood, and she sprinted forward to embrace Ai, only to run straight through her and fall forward. Iroha gasped, and ran to support her. Flick watched as the crown flew off her head and landed in front of Ai. Her heart was pounding. She had to—

_Save Ai._

Flick ran, right behind Iroha, though her target was Ai. However, before either of them could reach their targets, a wall of crystals formed in front of them, blocking their path.

"Ai!" Flick yelled. Dammit, she had to get around these!

"Homura!" Flick yelled. The bespeckled girl nodded and pulled a grenade from her shield, chucking it at the crystal wall. However, any crystals that shattered were immediately replaced. They had no way to get through.

"Sana!" Iroha stretched out her hand, as though she could reach the girl that way. Sana herself didn't seem to notice, as she was on her hands and knees sobbing.

Ai stepped in front of her, and, with a flash, her appearance changed. She looked just like Sana did in her Magical Girl attire, though Ai's skin was white, and her hair a brighter shade of green. The crown she wore was Sana's, and the smile on her face as she took it off was bright as day.

"Sana." Ai kneeled in front of Sana and placed the crown on her head. Her voice sounded human, any robotic tint to it gone. "You gave me the name Ai. Even after I've been erased, I will always be with you.

Standing, Ai offered her hand to Sana. Once they were standing, Ai said, "But Sana, you must destroy me and gather the pieces." She held Sana's hands, and a dagger appeared in them.

No, it wouldn't end like this! Flick slashed her bow into the crystals, her desperate attempts to break through meaning nothing in the end.

"After that," Ai said, "please take me with you to the outside world." The emotion filling Ai's voice made Flick's heart twist, doubled by the anguish on Sana's face.

Sana closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clutching the dagger in her hands. "Ai . . . sorry . . ." she sniffed, "and thank you . . ."

Seeing Sana make her decision, Ai's smile softened even further. She stepped forward, arms reaching for Sana's and Flick realized what was going to happen. Ai was going to embrace Sana, piercing herself with the blade in the process.

No. This wasn't right! Ai didn't deserve to die! Flick was here, so why couldn't she do something?! Wasn't there any way to save Sana?!

Her magic. It was to rescue people, right? Could that work? If she used it now, would it pull Ai away from the dagger?

No. Ai was going to willingly stab herself. There was nothing Flick could do about that.

Dammit! What was the point of having magic meant to save people if she had to watch someone die right in front of her?! Work, magic! Don't let Ai die!

A thread appeared before her. It was a magic thread, like the ones she would pull on to switch places with other people. This was different, though. It didn't feel like it would reverse their positions. This thread . . . it felt as if it was made to connect. And right now, it was attached to Flick and Ai. Flick only had to pull on it.

Ai pulled Sana into a hug, the dagger thrust into her chest. The look on her face was one of pain, but by the time she pulled back, she was smiling again.

"Thank you." Ai's voice was glitching again. "You gave me, an anonymous A.I, a name, and . . . I am . . . so very grateful.

The labyrinth was shaking. It was falling apart around them. Worse, Ai's body was fading, and so was the thread between her and Flick!

They were out of time. Flick didn't know what this thread was, but it was their only hope of saving Ai! Whatever happened, she wouldn't regret pulling it.

Flick pulled the thread, and though her body didn't move, her consciousness did.

* * *

It was an empty, yellow void, a stark contrast to the blackness last time Flick was here. Flick recognized this place. It was the inside of her soul gem.

Her Doppel was not here. However, someone else was. The copy of Sana with brighter colors, green eyes wide with shock.

"Ai . . .?" Flick took a step forward. "Is it really you?"

"How is this possible?" Ai murmured. Her voice sounded human again. "My labyrinth has disappeared. The Rumor is no more, so I should be gone as well. Yet the remainder of my soul is now a part of yours."

"What does that mean?" Flick asked. "You're alive, right?"

"I am," Ai confirmed. "You saved me, and for that I must thank you, Felicity. But you must understand what you have done.

Uh oh. That tone didn't sound promising. "What happened?" Flick asked. "I felt a connection from my power, and when I pulled on it, we ended up here."

"You brought our souls together, Felicity," Ai said. "I'm a part of you, now.

"You've been fused with an Uwasa."

**A/N: Shorter chapter, but it** _**was** _ **originally going to be combined with the last chapter. Anyway, Flick is now part Uwasa! We'll see a bit more on what this means in the next few chapters.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Iroha's eyes were still squeezed shut when she realized that she felt wind rushing past her face. She slowly opened them, taking in her surroundings. They were no longer in the Rumor. The night sky was all around them, and they were falling.

 _Wait, Sana!_ Iroha looked to her left, and saw the green haired girl was still unconscious. Her transformation had come undone, and worse, they were on course to crash directly into Kamihama radio tower!

Iroha reached out, and grabbed Sana's hand with her own. She would make sure both of them landed safely. Looking to her other side, she saw Homura was still awake, and she nodded to her, trusting her to get Flick. A moment later, Homura seemed to teleport further down to where Flick was below them. As for Flick herself—

Wait, what had _happened_ to her?

Flick's once blonde hair was now a bright green, and her skin was white as snow. She looked the same otherwise, though she wasn't currently transformed. Her appearance was familiar . . .

 _It's like how Ai looked at the end,_ Iroha realized. Flick's eyes were currently closed, but chances were if she opened them, they would be the same emerald color Ai's had been.

Her guess was proven right a moment later, for Flick opened her eyes. As expected, they were a bright green. Iroha saw Homura say something to her, but couldn't make it out. Then, Flick transformed.

Her outfit had changed. The design was the exact same, but any part of the clothes that had been white were now green. Her soul gem was the same color. There was still white in the design, though, for all the previously bright yellow clothes had become pure white.

Iroha had so many questions, but now wasn't the time for them. She pulled Sana close, carrying her in her arms. Now that they were close to the top of the radio tower, Iroha could see all the others there. Yachiyo, Tsuruno, and Kanagi were all transformed, watching as they fell. Positioning her feet downward, Iroha was able to land successfully. Homura and Flick landed at the same time.

"What happened . . .?" Yachiyo was the first to ask the question.

"It's a long story," Flick said. "For now, we should—"

Laughter echoed around them, and they all spun to the source. Alina Gray was standing there, transformed, with a crazy grin on her face. She kept cackling for a few seconds before speaking.

"I was prepared to kill you for ruining my precious Uwasa," Alina said. Her eyes were on Flick. "But this is _perfetta_. To think a human can be fused with an Uwasa."

She started to step toward Flick, only to be met with half a dozen weapons pointed at her. Seeing that, she stopped and rolled her eyes.

"I could kill you all here . . ." Alina grinned at the thought. "Except that would be such a waste. I think I'll wait and see how being fused with an Uwasa will affect a Magical Girl." She turned and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Flick stepped forward. "Alina Gray, what you're doing is going to destroy everything! The Magius won't find the salvation they're looking for!"

Alina shook her head. "I could care less about salvation, but _mio_ Eve is a precious work of art. I have no interest in letting it fail now."

Alina said no more. Her business complete, she jumped off the radio tower, leaving them alone. At the same moment, Sana started to stir in Iroha's arms.

"Sana!" Iroha looked down and saw her eyes open. "Are you okay?"

Sana nodded, and Iroha set her down. "I am, but Ai . . ." There were tears in her eyes. She wiped them, then looked up, noticing Flick. Seeing her, Sana froze.

"Ai . . .?"

* * *

"You merged . . . with an Uwasa?"

Mami was the one to ask the question. The group had reconvened at Mitama's, including those who had stayed behind. Apparently something had happened while Flick and the others were gone, but everyone wanted answers on Flick's condition first.

"From what Ai told me, yes," Flick said. "I still have to ask her some questions about that, actually."

" _I am willing to explain anything you want to know."_ Ai's voice in Flick's head reminded her of Tabbris.

"Ai . . . she's okay?" Sana's question came out small, but made Flick smile.

"She is. She's stuck in my head now, but she's alive."

Sana beamed, tears flooding her eyes. "I'm so glad . . ."

Flick walked over to Sana and hugged her. Immediately, she felt the other girl's arms squeeze her close. It wasn't the same as hugging Ai herself, but Flick hoped it was close enough for Sana.

"But why did her Rumor disappear?" Kanagi asked. "If . . . merging with you kept her alive, shouldn't it have kept the Rumor she was tied to from falling apart?"

" _That has to do with the moment in which we merged,"_ Ai said. _"Any sooner, and the Rumor might have reconstructed itself. Any later, and it would have been impossible to save me. You merged us at just the right moment to preserve me, but not the Rumor."_

Flick relayed that answer to them.

"You're fortunate not to be trapped," Yachiyo said. "But how will being merged with a Rumor affect you mentally?"

Flick took a deep breath. She didn't need Ai's help to answer this one.

"Being merged with a Rumor means that your mind will adapt to how the Uwasa thinks. It alters your personality to match the Rumor."

Almost a dozen wide eyes stared at her. "That means you're going to change!" Madoka blurted. "You won't be the same person anymore!"

"Well . . ." How did Flick explain? Ai was mainly defined by her loneliness. Being isolated in her Rumor, she had wanted to make friends. She didn't want to be alone.

" _Any adjustments made to your mind upon merging were minimal. Flick, you . . ."_

"We don't have to worry," Flick said. "I'll be fine."

"How can you say that so calmly?!" Sayaka demanded. "You—"

"Let's trust Flick, everyone!" Tsuruno spoke up. "She's still the Flick we all know!" Flick met her eyes, and realized that Tsuruno understood. She nodded her thanks, and received a wide smile from the other girl.

"More importantly, what comes next?" Flick asked. "Mifuyu, you look like you've wanted to say something."

The white haired girl had been fidgeting for a while. She seemed to only be partly engaged in the conversation, even jolting when Flick said her name. However, she was able to focus quickly.

"Two White Feathers from the Wings of the Magius saw me today," Mifuyu said. The Mitakihara girls and Mitama seemed to be the only ones not shocked by the news. "Their names are Tsukuyo and Tsukasa Amane. We were in the middle of practicing the spell you taught us when they suddenly entered the room. Even worse, they ran away before we could talk to them."

"Then, are we compromised?" Homura asked. She glanced toward Madoka.

Mifuyu shook her head. "I can clear up any suspicions with them and the Magius. I'll head to Hotel Fendt Hope first thing tomorrow."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Yachiyo was closely watching Mifuyu. "You could stay at the Coordinator's if necessary."

"I would be happy to have you here, Mifuyu," Mitama said.

"Thank you, but I don't want the Magius paying close attention to the rest of you," Mifuyu said. "Any thoughts they have about Mitama maintaining her neutrality will end if they start to doubt us."

Yachiyo sighed. "Just run if you think you're in any danger, alright? Get to the rest of us so we can help you."

Mifuyu smiled. "I will. Thank you, Yachan."

"Of course. One more thing. I worked things out with your parents, Iroha, and you can stay here. Sana, you can as well. This place was once a boarding house, so there are plenty of rooms."

"Does that mean I can stay here too?" Tsuruno asked.

"You have a home to go to," Yachiyo said. "Iroha needed a place to stay while her parents went on an extended trip, and Sana can't return home in her state."

Sana looked down. "I'm sorry . . ."

Iroha took her hand. "It's okay, really. We'll be glad to have you here."

"She's right," Yachiyo said. "Now, is there anything else?" When no one spoke up, she nodded. "Right, let's go our separate ways for the night. We'll figure out what to do next once Mifuyu returns tomorrow."

* * *

"Hey, there you are!"

Reathma turned at the voice, only to see another Black Feather running toward her. Her short size and the bits of blonde hair poking out of her coat confirmed who it was.

"Felicia." Reathma only knew the girl's first name, of course. "I wasn't sure if you would be here."

"Here" being the large chamber where many Feathers had gathered to listen to a speech from one of the Magius. They happened occasionally in order to keep up morale, and from the few Reathma had been to, they were effective.

"Not much else for me to do," Felicia said. "When I tried lounging around in the dining hall, I got glared at by a couple of White Feathers."

"You too, huh?" It wasn't Reathma who had asked the question, but Kyoko Sakura, strolling up to them. As usual, she wore no hood. "These people are so lame."

"Right?!" Felicia started chatting with Kyoko eagerly. The two had seemed to form a swift friendship, with Reathma acting as the tagalong more than anything.

_Not that I came here to make friends. My only goal is to see my family again._

Well, there was one girl she wouldn't mind becoming friends with in this time period. The girl who had saved her—Flick Chambers. She still remembered that feeling of utter despair when she had been tricked by the Seance Shrine. A single girl had pulled her out of those curses. And after that, she had taken a hit for Reathma when they were fighting against the Uwasa.

Reathma wanted to see her again. Even so, she couldn't get distracted. The Asenath of the shrine was a fake, but there had to be a real Asenath out there somewhere. Otherwise, why would Reathma's wish pull her 200 years into the future? There was some secret here to reuniting with her family. The question was what that might be.

_Still, would it hurt to pay Flick Chambers a visit?_

Yes, it would. They were on opposite sides of the conflict. Reathma had to put aside her personal feelings for the sake of her goal. If she lost the Magius, she lost her only lead on the strange circumstances happening in Kamihama, which might lead to her family. She had no choice.

Even if Flick had been pretty cute.

The conversations taking place died down as a small girl walked up the podium on the elevated stage. She had russet hair and eyes, and her outfit consisted of red boots, a black dress, a black ribbon on her hair, and a red ribbon on her collar. The girl looked younger than any of the Feathers serving her.

This was Touka Satomi, one of the Magius.

"Magical Girls," her speech began. "Seekers of liberation! I thank you. You were given hope with the purpose of falling into despair, yet you decided to hold onto life instead.

"Do you remember when you became a Magical Girl? A single wish powered your soul gem and became a miracle. Whether or wished for yourself, or for the sake of others, you dream of a better future. And with your power, you are capable of making that dream a reality.

"Science has led humanity to progress and build upon civilization. Without it, we would still be living in caves. But what is it that let us come this far? It is our wishes. All these years, the power of our wishes has brought humanity to the top of this planet. With it, we will someday go ever further.

"Magical Girls make miracles happen with a single wish. How can the lifelong work of the average man even begin to compare with that moment of hope? Truly, our light shines the brightest.

"How can we show the world that light? How can we break free from the shackles unjustly put upon us by an alien species that cannot even comprehend hope? Day after day, we're fated to suffer and die. For so long, this fate seemed as inevitable of the sun rising every morning.

"The hope and despair that defines our lives is treated as nothing more than a commodity. We're livestock for the sake of a universe that doesn't care about us at all. This cannot continue any longer! We must not suffer another day!

"We are lucky, fellow Magical Girls, for our pain will soon come to an end. I believe that our dreams will soon come to fruition! No longer will we be destined to a miserable end. The Magius will bring forth salvation. My Doppel system will soon spread across the entire world, ending the existence of Witches.

"All of us will be saved. Your aid will bring forth a new era for Magical Girls—no, for all of humanity! We will not let anyone interfere now. No matter what happens, we will succeed!

"Together, we will save Magical Girls!"

 **A/N: Those who have watched** _**Magia Record** _ **will notice the similarities between this speech and the one Touka makes in episode 13. I tried putting my own minor spin on it, while still keeping the message Touka wanted to convey.**

**This story is a bit over halfway done. The outline I have for it contains 43 chapters plus an epilogue, though that could change. However, for now, I have decided to put this story on hiatus.**

**The lack of Season 2 news, along with the, quite frankly, horrifying stuff filling** _**Magia Record's** _ **AO3 page, have pretty much drawn me away from Magia Record fanfiction. I don't want to force myself to write a story I'm losing passion for, since that will guarantee a drop in quality.**

 _**Repairing a Broken Record** _ **will be on hiatus for a while. Thank you for your patience.**


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